Mortal Kombat: Ascension
by TheHemomancer
Summary: After sparing Bi-Han's life at the request of Raiden, Scorpion and Sub-Zero join in on Earthrealms behalf in the fight against Shao Kahn and his Outworld allies. Scorpion and Sub-Zero are the starring characters of this story. Certain aspects of MK9 will be changed. I do not own MK. FINISHED. Edit: Chapters 14, 15 and 17 have been rewritten.
1. Prologue

A/N: This is the first chapter of the story. This takes place during the _Mortal Kombat _bracket of _Mortal Kombat _(2011), during the first five chapters. For those who are unlucky to have not played or own the game, this is a somewhat spoiler.

Contains swearing and violence, and sexual references/scenes.

You have been warned.

R&R welcome.

(Raiden's POV)

Liu Kang has joined me in participating in this tournament. As I watch people who approach the tournament grounds, my mind churns and reminds me of several events that will take place in the future.

Shao Kahn beats me into submission and kills me in Armageddon.

_Flashback:_

"_Where are the Elder Gods, Raiden? They masquerade as dragons, but are mere toothless worms," the Emperor says as he approaches me, grabbing me roughly by the shoulders and punching me in the face. My body helplessly jerks with every punch. I cannot do anything to save myself. My powers are compromised in Outworld, as it is a foreign world. Shao Kahn's powers have been increased as a result of the third outcome at the defeat of Blaze at Taven's hands. _

_Shao Kahn suddenly throws me across the Pyramid, and laughs haughtily. As I land, my amulet cracks into pieces. I am doomed. I have failed Earthrealm, the Elder Gods, my fallen allies, and myself. I silently condemn myself as Shao Kahn approaches. _

_Grabbing what remains of my amulet, I clench my fist, creating small electrical impulses. "Foolish ages of resistance, Raiden. Soon, all of the realms will be in my control," the Emperor boasts as he eyes me with his evil orange eyes with black cat-like slits. _

_Muttering a mystical incantation, my eyes begin to glow blue. "Yes Raiden…pray to the worms," Shao Kahn continues to insult me. "He must win…" I say, still holding my crushed amulet._

_Suddenly, a series of past events before Armageddon take place. I see myself fighting Taven, the son of the Elder God Argus. Prior to Armageddon, I had made a deal with Shao Kahn; I would prevent Taven from completing his quest, in exchange that Shao Kahn would leave Earthrealm alone. I was foolish to do this, but I was corrupted by Onaga's essence after my rebirth._

_I then see Quan Chi, Shang Tsung, Shao Kahn, and Onaga discussing something about their alliance. I cannot exactly remember what happened, but I do remember that they ultimately sided with eachother. I then see myself resurrecting Liu Kang, and fighting the Dragon King alongside Shang Tsung and Quan Chi._

_Tons of events continue to flash through my mind as if it is a movie, before I find myself at the first Mortal Kombat tournament. _

End Of Flashback.

Feeling somewhat nervous about the events of the tournament due to my visions, I quietly grimace and bring my palm to my face. Liu Kang, who is standing next to me, notices and looks at me thoughtfully.

"Lord Raiden, what is wrong?" Liu Kang is a member of the White Lotus society, and was chosen to represent the Shaolin Monk order in this tournament. He is an excellent fighter, being capable of defeating the likes of Shao Kahn and Goro. I do not doubt his abilities, but sometimes, he lets his emotions get in his way.

Not wanting to explain, I push my emotions aside. "It is nothing, Liu Kang. The tournament now begins."

**CHAPTER ONE**

The tournament had seen lots of events, such as the victory of Johnny Cage against Reptile and Baraka. Because he had refused to kill Baraka, Shang Tsung called off the tournament for the day.

"The tournament will resume at dawn!" The old sorcerer said as he left with a blue-clad woman who was standing next to him.

"What? That's it?" Johnny Cage said dissapointedly.

Sonya Blade had defeated Sub-Zero, Raiden, Kitana, Jade, and Kano in order to rescue Jax, which she was almost successful in doing.

Sonya had managed to free Jax from captivity, but was unsuccessful in leaving the tournament. Their ride home was destroyed by Shang Tsung, the tournament's host.

Scorpion, an undead wraith from the Netherrealm, showed up at the tournament the next day and demanded for the Lin Kuei warrior, Sub-Zero.

"Where is the Lin Kuei Sub-Zero? He killed my family and clan….I will have his head!"

Raiden had discovered that it was Kung Lao, posing as a masked guard. Liu Kang was chosen to represent the Monks. Attempting to redeem himself, Kung Lao snuck into the tournament and posed as a Masked Guard, but was caught by Raiden.

"I know it is you, Kung Lao," Raiden said. "The Shaolin Monks chose Liu Kang to represent the Order in this Tournament."

"I am Liu Kang's equal," Kung Lao shot back while trying to keep a low profile.

"That remains to be seen," came Raiden's rebuttal.

"Watch and see," Kung Lao coldly replied before approaching Scorpion confidently. Quickly undressing from his Guard costume, Kung Lao had the bravest look on his face.

"Nevermind the Lin Kuei, you will face a Shaolin."

"You will regret your impulsiveness," Scorpion retorted before fighting the Monk.

Scorpion had the upper hand, as he had more tricks up his sleeve. He frequently used his teleport punches and hellfire. Scorpion was too fast for Kung Lao, and it was not long before the fight ended.

"You are not yet a warrior," Scorpion said, insulting Kung Lao for his defeat. Neither Liu Kang or Raiden were impressed with Kung Lao's decision. "Listen when your Elders speak. You could not win this fight," Raiden scolded.

Scorpion continued to obliterate his future opponents, such as Nightwolf, Cyrax, Sektor, and Sub-Zero.

The two rivals fought in the Netherrealm, where Scorpion was reborn. Scorpion had defeated Sub-Zero, but did not kill him, as he had made an agreement with Raiden. The Thunder God sensed that if Sub-Zero were to die, a more dangerous threat would emerge. In exchange for sparing the Lin Kuei, Raiden would request the Elder Gods to resurrect the Shirai Ryu.

Scorpion did want to kill Sub-Zero, but he wanted his family and clan back more than anything.

"Scorpion, what are you waiting for?" The familiar voice of Quan Chi was heard through the Netherrealm. Scorpion looked behind him to see the pale sorcerer. "Kill him."

"I will not," Scorpion said. Raiden must have sensed that Quan Chi was trying to persuade Scorpion into having revenge, and did not like this. He quickly teleported to the Netherrealm to do something about it.

"The Lin Kuei are not responsible, Scorpion," Raiden said upon arriving in the Netherrealm. Helping Sub-Zero up, Scorpion looked at Raiden with a confused look on his face.

"Continue," the spectre said. He had never heard this said about the Shirai Ryu murders. Scorpion was well aware that the Lin Kuei were a group of assassins that would stop at nothing to complete their task.

"Quan Chi is the one responsible for your family and clan's murder. He killed the Shirai Ryu in exchange for the Lin Kuei completing their mission, which was to retrieve the Map of Elements from the Shaolin Temple. Though I am responsible for your death, Scorpion, I did not kill your family," Sub-Zero said, supporting Raiden's point.

Quan Chi hung his head in shame. His secret was out of the bag, and he had lost Scorpion's loyalty, as well as one of his most trusted enforcers. The spectre was overcome with anger and sadness to the point that he took off his mask to reveal a flaming skull, and slew his former master, who writhed in pain on the ground.

The spectre unremorsefully looked at his master's dead body. Grabbing Quan Chi by the throat, Scorpion threw him into the lava. He did not care that he had betrayed the Netherrealm. For learning the truth about his family, Scorpion would be forever grateful to Earthrealm.

Bowing to the Thunder God, Scorpion thanked him dearly for the truth. "Thankyou, Lord Raiden. As atonement for the truth, I will side with Earthrealm, now and forever." Turning to face Sub-Zero, Scorpion held out his hand. "I am sorry, Bi-Han, for wanting to pointlessly kill you all this time." The Cryomancer carefully eyed Scorpion's arm before kindly accepting it. "I accept your apology, Scorpion. I hope that we can become friends." Bi-Han smiled warmly at the spectre.

Scorpion nodded in agreement before taking Raiden and Sub-Zero back to Earthrealm. Everybody was surprised to see that the former rivals were in one piece, as Scorpion was previously ranting about having Sub-Zero's head.

Whilst their battle went on, Liu Kang had been victorious over Kitana, Ermac, Goro, and Shang Tsung. Earthrealm had won this time. They would be forever safe against Outworld's grasp.

The butthurt Outworld warriors left Earthrealm in a portal. Kitana fondly glanced at Liu Kang, the Earthrealm Champion. Johnny Cage, the movie star, playfully nudged Liu Kang, and the two men started laughing. Kitana felt obliged to giggle before leaving to Outworld.

"I saw you glancing at Liu Kang before we left, Kitana. Have you got the hots for an Earthrealmer?" Jade was Kitana's bodyguard and childhood friend. She was very close with the Princess of Outworld. Kitana never had a mother; Shao Kahn was her father and only family member, so she counted Jade as a sister, due to their long-lasting friendship.

"No. I would not be allowed to marry him or be in a relationship with him. My father would forbid it. Besides, he is somebody I would only consider as a friend," Kitana bravely replied.

Jade smirked, as she still believed Kitana had a crush on Liu Kang. Before they could continue their conversation, they were called upon by Shao Kahn. The Emperor pointed to Shang Tsung and gave a cut-throat gesture, signalling for Kitana and Jade to hold the sorcerer down and kill him.

Jade held Shang Tsung down as Kitana drew her fans, ready to decapitate the sorcerer.

"500 YEARS I HAVE WAITED FOR THIS! NOW I MUST WAIT 500 MORE," the Emperor roared in fury. Outworld had one the 9 consecutive tournaments, and almost had Earthrealm in their grasp. However, Shang Tsung had been defeated by the Shaolin Monk, Liu Kang, resulting in their failure.

"My Lord, all is not lost!" Shang Tsung desperately pleaded for his life, but Shao Kahn was not as kind as someone like Raiden. "Nevermind. Kitana, **kill him**." The Emperor's voice was as hard as steel, most likely due to his anger. Jade's grip on Shang Tsung's shoulders tightened as Kitana prepared to end the sorcerer's life.

"What if the rules were changed!" Shang Tsung shouted, still trying to plead for his life. The Emperor looked at the sorcerer with his hard cat-like eyes, and gestured for Kitana to lower her fans. "Continue," the Emperor said. Shang Tsung was beyond happy as his life was going to be spared.

"We change the system to make the odds way heavily on Earthrealm. We change the system to a single one of ten." Shang Tsung started panting heavily as he awaited the Emperor's answer. Surprisingly, the Emperor nodded.

"I will spare your life, Shang Tsung, but you are not free from punishment. Punishment is inevitable when it comes to failing the Emperor. Kitana," The Emperor called for his daughter, who was at his side immediately. Shao Kahn whispered something inaudible to Kitana before she walked away and entered a room which was unknown to some.

The Princess of Outworld returned with a small table and an odd looking device that looked horrific.

She laid the table in front of Shang Tsung and placed the horrific device in front of him. Jade, Kitana, and Skarlet, the Emperor's newest creation, stood by Shang Tsung, who eyed the device curiously.

"What is…this thing?!"

"It's a device for tearing off fingernails," Kitana coldly answered. "In order to redeem yourself, you must tear off three of your fingernails," the Princess continued.

"You…want three of them?!" Shang Tsung sounded like a frightened child as he spoke.

"That is what she just said, you narrowminded fuck!" Skarlet yelled, slapping Shang Tsung in the face. She was probably the most aggressive and brutal assassin of Shao Kahn. Kitana and Jade were kind, but Skarlet never held back. She killed anyone who posed a threat to her or Outworld.

"Shao Kahn only enacts this brutal method of torture when one of his servant fails the gravest of tasks. You were defeated by that Monk, Liu Kang. For that, you must prove yourself to Outworld and tear off thee of your fingernails," Jade continued from Kitana's words.

Skarlet roughly grabbed Shang Tsung's arm and placed his hand in the device. The sorcerer was restrained by Kitana and Jade. The grip of the two women tightened as the sorcerer tried to break free. Skarlet tore of one of Shang Tsung's fingernails with the machine, earning an ear-splitting scream from the sorcerer.

"Silence fool!" Skarlet yelled, and slapped the sorcerer once again. Her glare was as hard as steel, as was her voice. She used the machine to pry off another fingernail. By this point, Shang Tsung was crying. The pain was excruciating. All of this conjured up a massive hatred for Liu Kang in his mind. Losing to Liu Kang had made him end up where he was. But that was indeed the sorcerer's fault. If it wasn't for him, Shang Tsung wouldn't be having his fingernails ripped off and been bitchslapped twice by Skarlet.

Shang Tsung snapped out of his thoughts as Skarlet ripped off another fingernail. He bit back tears and prevented himself from breaking down and crying in front of the Emperor and his Outworld allies.

"That is enough now. Let Shang Tsung go. His punishment has been served," Shao Kahn said, signalling for the girls to let him go. Jade and Kitana released their grip, while Skarlet took the table and fingernail ripper away.

Shang Tsung's hands were dripping blood, which soaked the floor. Skarlet resisted the urge to kill Shang Tsung and bathe in his blood.

Meanwhile, Liu Kang and his Earthrealm allies celebrated their victory over Outworld. The Shaolin Monks presented Liu Kang with a medallion, indicating that he was Earthrealm's champion.

Despite Liu Kang's success, the future remained in peril. Raiden's amulet continued to crack further. However, the Earthrealm warriors were forever grateful that there realm was free from Shao Kahn once again, and that Liu Kang was capable of defeating adversaries such as Shang Tsung.

Raiden was grateful that Scorpion had spared Sub-Zero's life, thanks to the Lin Kuei warrior telling the spectre the truth. The Thunder God decided to uphold his end of the bargain and took Scorpion to Heaven, so that they could beseech the Elder Gods.

"Elder Gods, I beseech you!" Raiden cried out.

"**What is it, Raiden? Why is Scorpion with you?" **The Elder Gods asked simultaneously. The deities always spoke at the same time, either all of them or just two or three.

"I have held a bargain with Scorpion; in return for him sparing Sub-Zero's life, I would request of you to return the Shirai Ryu to the realm of mortals."

"**Consider it done." **One of the Elder Gods summoned the entire clan back, before Scorpion and Raiden. It was amazing as to how powerful they were. Raiden then teleported them back to Earthrealm, where Scorpion could reunite with them.

However, this would not be a true family reunion, as Scorpion would soon discover.

**-That's the end of the first chapter. I hope you enjoyed.**

**-As you can see, I have altered Sub-Zero's death. Tundra will not be brought into this story, but Smoke will.**

**-Scorpion and Sub-Zero will be the main characters of this story; Liu Kang and Kung Lao will instead be minor characters.**

**-Scorpion's family were tainted with black magic after being killed by Quan Chi, which is why it won't be a true family reunion.**

**-The Scorpion X Kitana parts will take place during the middle of the story.**

**Keep reading! I will have more updates coming up soon.**


	2. Defection

After Liu Kang's victory celebration, Jax and Raiden decided to talk at the Wu Shi Academy. Both men were relieved that Earthrealm was free of Outworld's grasp, but were still worried about the future remaining in peril.

"Despite Liu Kang winning the tournament, the future remains in peril. He must win….if not Liu Kang, then who?" Raiden pondered as he looked around, taking in the beautiful features of the Academy.

There were lots of pretty trees with pink leaves, and several statues of men holding chains that held a circular object over a small body of water. This was where Liu Kang and his allies celebrated their triumph against Outworld.

"You got me," Jax said, clueless as to who else it might be referring to. "Not sure anybody could have done what he did; made Shang Tsung look like a chump." The major was in total awe about how Liu Kang was capable of overcoming the hardest of missions. Being in military, Jax had been in a lot of difficult situations, but none had to do with foreign realms.

_Shirai Ryu Stronghold_

Scorpion had travelled to the home of his family and clan before their demise. Since he had spared Sub-Zero, the Elder Gods would hold up their bargain, which was to resurrect Scorpion's family and clan in return for sparing the Lin Kuei.

He could hear the laughs of his son, Jubei, and a smile instantly crept up on Scorpion's face. "The Gods have done as asked," Scorpion silently said to himself. The spectre went from walking to running as he approached the Shirai Ryu stronghold, trying to compose himself so that he wouldn't do something he'd regret.

When Scorpion opened the door, he got the shock of his life. The Shirai Ryu had been resurrected as undead warriors, and were marked with Quan Chi's tattoos, a sign that they were bound to him forever, even in the sorcerer's death.

"NOOOOOOO!" Scorpion roared as he drew his Mugai Ryu, and ended the lives of the people he once called family.

_Wu Shi Academy_

Unbeknownst to Jax, Shang Tsung had appeared and was approaching both him and Raiden. The sorcerer had been revitalised in retribution for his harsh punishment. The revitalisation made the sorcerer look a lot younger.

"Here to congratulate us on our victory, sorcerer?" Raiden asked mockingly.

"What?! Shang Tsung?" Jax was in total disbelief that the man before them was Shang Tsung.

"You have been revitalised, I see. I didn't know your master was in the habit of rewarding failure," Raiden continued.

"The Emperor has a new offer Raiden," Shang Tsung finally spoke. "A new tournament. Should Outworld win, Shao Kahn will absorb it, but should Earthrealm win, Shao Kahn will abandon his cling to it…forever," the sorcerer continued.

Raiden did not want to participate in another tournament, feeling it could jeopardise Earthrealm, even though they came out victorious in the first tournament. Liu Kang was the only warrior that was able to compete in the tournament, as everybody else from Earthrealm, with the exception of Raiden, had been defeated. Due to his Elder God status, Raiden could not participate unless directly challenged.

"Give your Emperor my regards," Raiden said, politely declining the offer of a new tournament. The sorcerer snickered. With his magic, Shang Tsung opened up a portal in the Wu Shi academy, from which came a militia of Tarkatans.

Whilst Raiden fought the sorcerer, Jax jumped from where he was standing and landed on his feet near the portal. Taking on the Tarkatans, the major was able to defeat most of them, until he was ganged up on.

The last thing he saw was of a Tarkatan stomping on his head, before everything when black….

When he awoke, Jax saw Johnny Cage, Raiden, Liu Kang, Kung Lao, Scorpion, and Sub-Zero standing around him.

"Urgh…my head…what did they hit me with?" Jax wondered. Though it was a simple stomp to the head, it felt much more painful than that. Noticing that his partner, Sonya Blade, was not with them, Jax began to worry.

"Wait…where's Sonya?!" Jax asked harshly.

"Sonya has been captured by the Tarkatans," Raiden replied. It made Jax's blood boil to know she was with those foul mouth creatures. He desperately hoped she would be okay.

"Shang Tsung gained a momentarily advantage in kombat and escaped," The Thunder God continued. "They have returned to Outworld, I believe."

"Then we must follow them!" Kung Lao spoke. He had since reconciled with Liu Kang and Raiden for rebelling, and all was good between them. Raiden looked at his Earthrealm allies for a moment before speaking.

"Shang Tsung has made it clear that Earthrealm will be under constant threat if we do not agree to Shao Kahn's terms," the Thunder God said as he gestured to the Tarkatan bodies, which laid on the ground around the warriors. "Liu Kang's victory over Shang Tsung saved Earthrealm, but was not the solution I sought. I believe 'He must win,' refers to another."

As soon as Raiden said that Liu Kang may not be the 'He must win,' the Thunder God had a vision of Liu Kang punching through Shao Kahn's chest, killing the Emperor of Outworld, meaning Earthrealm would prevail once again. Looking at Sub-Zero and Scorpion, Raiden continued speaking. "Perhaps you are meant to be the victor."

The two warriors looked at eachother, confused. They both knew they were great fighters, but were not ready to bare such a heavy burden. However, both fighters were loyal to their realm, and would do anything to save it from peril.

Deciding that enough time was spent discussing their plans, Raiden decided to make haste with his allies. "Hear me, Elder Gods, I accept the terms proposed by Shao Kahn!" The Thunder God spoke, loud enough for the deities to hear him. A bright light shone around the Earthrealm warriors. "We go to Outworld," Raiden said as he teleported him and the warriors to the foreign realm.

_Lin Kuei Temple _

Sektor and his cyborg militia had kidnapped Cyrax, a Motswana warrior that was also Lin Kuei, but rebelled from his clan due to the Cyber Initiative. He did not want to give up his humanity.

_It kills our intuition, our instincts._

Cyrax had defeated Sektor during the tournament after a heated argument about Cyrax not killing Johnny Cage, who the Motswana assassin was previously assigned to kill.

"You were commanded to kill Johnny Cage. You disobeyed."

"I eliminated him from the tournament; he didn't need to die."

"You have broken your oath," Sektor coldly said. The Lin Kuei were to kill any warrior without any qualms whatsoever. Not doing so would be breaking their oath to the clan.

"I used my judgement!" Cyrax rebutted. He did not need to kill Johnny Cage, as the movie star had not nothing wrong but been an annoying little attention whore.

"The Cyber Initiative will eliminate any insubordination!" Sektor retaliated, trying to convince Cyrax that it was right.

"We are not machines, Sektor. We are much more than that. I chose to serve the Lin Kuei, but I will NOT surrender my free will!"

Cyrax fought and defeated his counterpart after a long bloody battle. Sektor had the upperhand, but Cyrax's arsenal of bombs and saws allowed him to overpower his ally.

"Tell the Grand Master…I am finished," Cyrax declared, implying he was leaving the Lin Kuei.

Sektor took a breath before turning to face his ally. "No one leaves the Lin Kuei…" Sektor was right. Nobody left the Lin Kuei unless they had a death wish.

Not wanting to listen to Sektor's voice anymore, Cyrax kicked him in the head, knocking the rocket-wielding warrior unconscious. Smirking, Cyrax teleported away to an unknown area with the intention of hiding from the Lin Kuei and not being automated.

However, his plan failed.

Sektor was later found by the Grand Master, who was his father, and was willingly automated. Sektor used his tracking abilities to find Cyrax and kidnap him. The red cyborg was accompanied by other cyborgs that were replicas of Sektor himself.

The Lin Kuei teleported Cyrax back to their Temple, to begin his transformation. The human conscience would be devoid in Cyrax's new body. During the transformation, Cyrax was reprogrammed with slaving protocols, making the Motswana loyal to the Lin Kuei and obedient to only them.

"We can now begin the hunt for Smoke and Sub-Zero," Sektor said to his fellow Lin Kuei comrades. His comrades had recently been turned into cyborgs by the clan and became loyal enforcers of both Sektor and his father, Oshiro.

Cyrax had recently gained consciousness and started adjusting to his body. Feeling the heaviness of the robotic armour on his body, Cyrax remembered everything that had happened up until then.

He was drugged and automated, unwillingly.

As he looked around, the Motswana warrior saw his comrades, his captors. He remembered being surrounded by them in the Living Forest and taking him away. Something made Cyrax want to attack his comrades and escape, but another made him relent and stay loyal to Sektor.

"I have a new mission for you, 4-D-4," Sektor's robotically altered voice spoke. It did not sound very different to his human voice, nor was his personality. Sektor was always a cold, brutal warrior, devoid of any conscience.

"You are to locate Sub-Zero and return him to the Lin Kuei temple. I will locate Smoke and return him. **Do not fail.**"

Cyrax nodded before standing up and teleporting away to complete his mission.

_Shao Kahn's Throneroom_

Jax, Sub-Zero, Raiden, Johnny Cage, Scorpion had teleported to Outworld in order to find Sonya Blade and participate in the new tournament, once again hosted by Shao Kahn and Shang Tsung. The Thunder God had sent Liu Kang and Kung Lao to tend to their Shaolin Masters, who had been injured at the hands of the Tarkatan warriors, which were summoned by Shang Tsung.

The four Earthrealm warriors had arrived at Shao Kahn's throneroom. They could see Skarlet, Kitana, Jade, Goro, Sheeva, Baraka and his Tarkatan horde, Shang Tsung and Shao Kahn. Goro handed an odd looking object to the Emperor, who carelessly returned it to the Shokan, as he did not see any significance in it. The two Shokan warriors left the Thoneroom to someplace elsewhere.

There was a long pause before anybody spoke.

"I assume that's the big man himself," Jax said upon seeing Shao Kahn.

"The wrestler guy with the cow skull on his head?" Johnny Cage questioned still referring to the Emperor, "And why aren't the Kung Fu twins here helping us?" The movie star questioned again, making a reference to Kung Lao and Liu Kang.

The somewhat racist commented disgusted both Sub-Zero and Scorpion, as they were of Asian descent. Bi-Han was of Chinese descent, and Hanzo was of Japanese descent. They did not like how quick people were to associate Asian people with Kung Fu, or any other Asian fighting style.

"I expected Sonya Blade to be here with Shang Tsung, but she clearly is not," Raiden said disappointedly. He did not want things to be difficult than they needed to be.

"She better not have a scratch on her," Jax growled before impulsively approaching Shang Tsung and Shao Kahn. "Wait, this is a tournament!" Raiden called out as he tried to restrain Jax, but to no avail.

The two Outworlders noticed this, as did the other warriors. "Ah, the Earthrealm delegation has arrived!" Shang Tsung announced. Noticing Jax stepping forward, the sorcerer continued, "And, we have a volunteer for first combat."

Jax's impulsiveness never did him any good, as he had gotten himself into a tournament without thinking. Though he was not as impulsive as his partner, Sonya, Major Briggs did think twice about a lot of things. However, when it came to his allies, Jax would go out of his way to rescue them or do them justice.

The Major took his kombat stance, ready to fight. Though he was slow on foot, Jax was very capable of defeating his opponents in melee kombat. He had used a lot of weapons in his lifetime, being in military, but was not dependant on them. He was more than capable of defeating Outworld warriors in hand-to-hand kombat. During his military missions, Jax had used bombs, guns, switchblades, tomahawks, and throwing knifes.

"What?" Jax pointlessly questioned, still unaware of what he had gotten himself into. Raiden was disappointed, as was Johnny Cage, but the two ninja assassins that accompanied them had no feelings about the situation that took place in front of them. Their minds were focused on the three women that stood on the right hand side of Shao Kahn. Sub-Zero's eyes were fixated on Jade, the emerald-clad warrior of Shao Kahn and Kitana's bodyguard. Likewise, Scorpion was interested in Kitana, the sapphire-clad daughter of Shao Kahn. He felt no remorse for killing his 'family,' as they were no longer his kin.

Smoke would probably have been interested in Skarlet. Both were quiet and exceptionally skilled and brutal in kombat. They were elite warriors of their factions. The two assassins would have been a good match for eachother, as they had similar personalities.

"Your opponent will be…." Shang Tsung said as he looked around the room, his eyes fixated on the Tarkatan warriors, "Baraka!" The Tarkatan enforcer of Shao Kahn was exceptionally brutal and strong, though like Jax, he was slow. His blades had slew many enemies of the Emperor; Baraka would not hold back in killing Jax, if it meant securing Earthrealm.

The enforcer stepped forward as his allies roared, raising their hand in salute. "Damn, you ugly!" Jax insulted as he saw Baraka. The Major was right, Baraka was indeed ugly, as were many of his kind. They had long, razor-rimmed teeth that were as sharp as steel and could tear through bones. They had yellow eyes with black cat-like slits, similar to that of Shao Kahn. The Tarkata also had brown spikes on their forearms and retractable blades that were also as sharp as steel. This notable asset of a Tarkata's aspect made them a formidable warrior and an excellent assassin.

"My blades will find your heart!" Baraka retorted as he unsheathed his blades.

The fight began between the two warriors, with Jax gaining the first hit with a ground pound, sending Baraka into the air. The Major leapt into the air and grabbed the Outworlder, and slammed his back against his knee, breaking Baraka's back. Jax laughed as he threw Baraka on the ground.

The Tarkata was down, but not out. He feigned unconsciousness as the Major approached him, and impaled Jax in his legs with his blades. Standing up, the enforcer slammed Jax on the ground, face first, three times in a row. As Jax got up, Baraka wrapped his arms around himself and spun around as if he were a cyclone, slashing at Jax's chest and face.

"YOU WEAK PATHETIC FOOL!" The Emperor shouted at Jax. Shao Kahn usually commentated on fights in the Koliseum or his Thoneroom. It was funny to hear comments such as this.

This motivated Jax to make a comeback and defeat Baraka, and prove that he was not a weak pathetic fool. Charging towards his adversary, Jax clotheslined Baraka clean in the face, breaking his nose and damaging his skull. The attack was powerful enough to send Baraka into midair momentarily, which Jax saw as the perfect opportunity to finish Baraka off.

"Get some, gotcha!" Jax said as he grabbed Baraka and slammed him against his knee, breaking his back further than how he did before. The Major threw Baraka into the air and slammed Baraka against his neck. At this point, Baraka would have a dysfunctional back, due to the damage Jax had done to it.

"How do you like me now?" Jax asked as he brutally slammed Baraka against the ground, winning the match. The Tarkatan was near unconsciousness.

"Jax Briggs wins!" Shang Tsung announced.

Turning to face the sorcerer, a hard look conjured up on the Major's face. "Where's Sonya?!"

Shang Tsung smirked, his lips curling into a smile. "Tell me, Major, do you and she do anything other than rescue eachother?" Everybody quietly laughed, except Raiden, Shao Kahn, and Shang Tsung. Jax was furious at this point.

"Your next opponent will be…" Shang Tsung was suddenly cut off by an invisible aspect, who revealed himself to be a scaly skin warrior who was known as Reptile, the last of his race. As soon as Raiden saw him, a vision was seen.

The vision was of Reptile and a female warrior reuniting. Raiden did not know what her name was; only that she had some kind of connection to Reptile. The Thunder God presumed her to be of the Saurian race, and a brethren of Reptile.

The Saurians were an almost extinct race from the realm of Zaterra. During the battle that occurred hundreds of millions of years ago, they fled to a new planet which they called 'Zaterra.' Shao Kahn found the realm and conquered it, merging his realm with Outworld. Reptile was soon under Shao Kahn's influence, while this new Saurian that Raiden saw in his vision had supposedly disappeared.

"What is it…" Shang Tsung hissed at the Saurian. "The Lin Kuei have entered Outworld. I believe they seek to automate some warriors. That is all I discovered, sorcerer," Reptile whispered in his ear.

Shang Tsung suddenly though to himself for a second, and decided that he would later tell the Emperor of the trespass. Surely he would send Skarlet, Kitana, and Jade after them. "Excellent!" The sorcerer exclaimed. Glancing at Shao Kahn, Shang Tsung continued speaking, "It seems I have a pressing matter to attend to. With the Emperor's permission, we will reconvene later," Shao Kahn nodded at the sorcerer before they left, accompanied by Baraka, his Tarkatan militia and Reptile. Kitana, Jade, and Skarlet looked at eachother before leaving with their allies.

**-Thankyou for your patience with this chapter. I have been very busy and have not had a lot of time to work on it, but I eventually got around to it.**

**-I added the sad twist for Scorpion in order to make more sense with his feelings for Kitana. **

**-I'm not sure yet if I am going to make a pairing with Jade/Sub-Zero, but Smoke/Skarlet and Scorpion/Kitana are definite.**

**-I have also decided to create a sequel to this story! **

**-Keep reading, I will have more chapters in soon.**


	3. A New Mission

_The Dead Pool_

Sonya Blade had been left in the 'care' of Sheeva, and her guards. The guards were short, fat, deformed men who seemed to be blind. Though they were not Shokan, they seemed to be some kind of Outworld race that was unknown to her. The blond haired lieutenant was hoisted above the ground and was restrained to a hook by some string. Though it sounded painful, Sonya was not in any pain. She was in one piece, and did not have a scratch on her.

Previously, Sonya had tried to escape, using her Ring Shots to blast her attackers and escape, but Sheeva jumped her and recaptured the lieutenant. In order to keep her from restraining, Sheeva, the guards, and Sonya relocated to the Dead Pool, a far more enclosed area than the Koliseum.

The Dead Pool was a dark, grim place. There was a pathway that had heavy, dangerous looking doors that made it hard to escape. Screams could be heard in the place as there was unfortunate victims being dropped into the acid pool, burning their skin right off their bones.

_Koliseum_

Shang Tsung, Shao Kahn and his Outworld enforcers relocated in the Koliseum. Reptile had recently discovered Lin Kuei warriors trespassing the Outworld Wastelands and would inform the Emperor, who would then send his most trusted assassins, Skarlet, Kitana, and Jade, to deal with them.

"Kitana! Jade! Skarlet!"

_Great, another mission, _Skarlet thought. _Maybe I could use this opportunity to defect from the Emperor, join Earthrealm, and then convince Jade and Kitana to join me. _

The three assassins approached their master, awaiting their mission. Shao Kahn looked at them delightfully, "The Lin Kuei have been detected in Outworld. Split up and intercept them. **Do not let them get away alive**!"

The three assassins then split up, going to complete their designated mission. It meant different things for all of them; for Skarlet, a chance to defect, for Jade, a chance to redeem herself to Shao Kahn and Kitana, also a chance to redeem herself to her father.

_Living Forest_

Skarlet then went on to The Living Forest, where she feel odd presences that were unfamiliar to her. "There is great energy nearby…" the sleek assassin silently said to herself as she scanned the area. Skarlet could see that the trees were animate; complete with eyes, a mouth, and a foul breath. The whole forest was peculiar.

The hemomancer would see several Lin Kuei cyborgs standing around a white-haired man who wore a grey ninja garb over a black kombat suit, complete with black kombat boots, grey gloves, and a mask. He had smoke emitting from his body, which Skarlet found odd. Despite this, she found her heart racing as she looked at him. She had never felt this way about anybody. It almost…scared her.

Not wanting such a handsome man to suffer a horrible fate, Skarlet leapt through the air, lunging at the cyborgs, cutting off their heads, their arms, and slicing off their torsos. Smoke teleported away, rematerializing near a tree. The Enenra watched in awe as the red headed warrior cut down his attackers.

Skarlet gracefully landed on her feet after finishing off her aerial assault on the Lin Kuei cyborgs. She took off her mask and smiled, revealing her beautiful red lips. Smoke was in awe at her beauty.

The Lin Kuei knew that she was an enforcer of Shao Kahn, so he was confused about why she had jumped ship. Surely there had been a reason for this. Smoke decided to trust his instincts and question her.

"You are a warrior of Shao Kahn! Why do you help the Forces of Light?!"

Skarlet's heart sank to her boots; it made her sad that she had saved the warrior's life and was being treated disrespectfully by him.

"I am defecting from the Emperor, Smoke. I am sick of his ways. I wish to join the Forces of Light," Skarlet said, with sadness in her voice and her eyes watering. "We are both assassins, Smoke. We can join forces and take down the Emperor," the sleek assassin continued.

Smoke looked down, somewhat reluctant at the woman's offer. However, he was eager to work with her if it meant saving Earthrealm and defeating the Emperor.

"I accept your proposal, Skarlet. We would kindly welcome your aid," Smoke said. He took off his mask and smiled as well.

Looking at the corpses of the Lin Kuei cyborgs, Skarlet frowned. "Why were they after you?" Smoke knew that Lin Kuei matters were confidential, but he had enough trust in Skarlet to tell her the truth.

"The Lin Kuei Grandmaster seeks to transform each assassin of the clan into cyborgs. He has succeeded in automating Sektor and Cyrax, but Sub-Zero and I have not been transformed. We must find Sub-Zero. My friend may be in danger." Smoke's voice was dripping with fear.

Skarlet liked how Smoke was compassionate and cared a lot about his friends. She was hoping that one day, he would care a lot about her, too.

"Then let us go. Your friend's soul depends on it."

_Soul Chamber_

Jade had been sent to intercept the Lin Kuei, Cyrax. The newly automated warrior had been sent to automate Sub-Zero, whilst Sektor was sent to automate Smoke. The red-clad cyborg failed, and Cyrax hadn't made much progress either.

The green-clad kunoichi remembered Sub-Zero glancing at her in the Thoneroom, as if he was interested. Jade's heart fluttered as he glanced at her; she could tell he thought she was attractive. Jade thought the same, even though she couldn't see a lot of his face, due to the mask that concealed most of his face.

Jade knew that Sub-Zero was Lin Kuei, as she saw the logo on his uniform. She was also an assassin, along with her allies, Kitana and Skarlet. The kunoichi knew that the Lin Kuei were automating their best warriors, and that Sub-Zero was most likely one of them. She had overheard Sektor and Cyrax talking about it during the first tournament.

Raiden had told Scorpion and Sub-Zero to attend the tournament, while he, Johnny Cage and Jax rescued Sonya Blade. Scorpion decided to head to the tournament grounds, while Sub-Zero decided to wonder around in Outworld.

He had reached the Soul Chamber, an eerie looking area that had a small bridge, which gave one access to the Koliseum, and also allowed them to look at the Soul Chamber itself .

This was the place where Ermac was created, the souls of unfortunate Edenian warriors being fused into one being.

As the Cryomancer looked around, he finally found himself at peace. There was just silence; nobody talking to or bothering him. Having the life of an assassin, especially of the Lin Kuei, meant having none of this, so this type of time was very important to Bi-Han.

Little did he know that Jade was watching him from the shadows. The shinobi could not help but worry for Sub-Zero as she knew of his possible fate; automation. She would not allow such a thing.

Sub-Zero's mind snapped out of his thoughts when he heard a familiar voice. But that voice…was different. It was not low and masculine like it was before. It was robotic.

"You are ordered to return to the Lin Kuei temple for assimilation," the yellow-clad cyborg spoke. Cyrax's outfit consisted of yellow robotic armour with green lights and black wires that protruded from his head. Like most cyborgs, Cyrax had a chest plate that he could store his weapons in.

"Cyrax?!" Sub-Zero was incredulous. Before the Cyber Initiative took place, Cyrax was stubborn about keeping his humanity, and would not go along with the plan. Not even the most convincing information about the good parts of being a cyborg would change his mind about being automated.

_The tables have clearly turned, _Sub-Zero thought to himself about Cyrax being against the Cyber Initiative, yet now he was a cyborg himself. It was somewhat ironic that things were this way.

As the yellow Lin Kuei cyberninja looked at his former ally, he remembered Bi-Han from his human life. Sub-Zero never said anything about the Cyber Initiative, but it was obvious that he was against it. As Cyrax was about to turn around and leave his mission uncompleted due to Sub-Zero being his friend, Cyrax's slaving protocols kicked in, and he decided to complete his mission.

"I am Unit LK4-D-4. You will come with me," Cyrax continued.

"I am sorry for what they did to you," Sub-Zero began, "But I will not comply." With that, the two warriors charged at eachother. Sub-Zero took Cyrax down with a slide, followed by twin palms. The cyberninja trapped the Cryomancer in an energy net, and threw a series of bombs at him, each sending Bi-Han into midair upon exploding.

Cyrax lept into midair and threw Sub-Zero on the ground. While Cyrax was fast, he did not have as much skill as the Cryomancer did. Cyrax didn't have any powers beside teleportation.

Sub-Zero created an ice clone, and quickly performed his slide attack, knocking his opponent into the clone, freezing him upon connecting. Using this opportunity to end the fight, Sub-Zero charged at Cyrax and crushed an iceball against his stomach, and then delivered a skull-crushing headbutt.

Bi-Han then froze Cyrax in place, preventing him from going anywhere. He wanted to try and reprogram Cyrax and have him join the Forces of Light against Shao Kahn. Cyrax would be a useful asset in the fight against Outworld.

Deciding to reveal herself, Jade approached the two warriors. Sub-Zero looked at the kunoichi, remembering her from the fight at the Throneroom. The hearts of both assassins started to flutter when their eyes found one another.

"An impressive fight you put up, Sub-Zero."

The Lin Kuei warrior smiled in gratitude. "Thankyou, Jade. I must reprogram him," Bi-Han gestured to Cyrax. Jade's mind was telling her to return to Shao Kahn, but her heart told her to stay with Sub-Zero and help him.

Her heart won.

"I will help you, Sub-Zero, in exchange for not attacking me. You really know how to treat a woman," Jade smiled, her green eyes looking straight into Sub-Zero's ice blue orbs. She loved guys that had blue eyes, and it so happened that Sub-Zero was one.

"Thankyou, Jade. You are most welcome as an ally." Sub-Zero smashed through the ice that confined Cyrax, and placed the unconscious ninja on the ground. Freezing his hands and feet in place so that he couldn't escape, the assassins began their work on Cyrax, with the intent of freeing him of his slaving protocols.

_Wastelands of Outworld_

Kitana went to the Wastelands of Outworld, the part of Edenia that was merged with the Outworld. As Kitana looked around, she saw the dead, decaying bodies of fallen Edenian warriors, flies surrounded them and grotesque insects eating at their flesh. The Princess looked away, disgusted.

She then saw a red clad cyborg. He looked similar to Cyrax, except his model was different, and he had red armour instead of yellow, and blue lights instead of green. Kitana had been sent by her father to intercept the Lin Kuei, which is exactly what she was about to do.

"The Emperor was wise to send me here. The Lin Kuei do walk uninvited in his realm."

"Wise though your Emperor might be, he was foolish to send his housemaid to interfere with Lin Kuei business."

Kitana was disgusted with the cyborg's sexist comment. She was glad to be able to defeat the warrior in return for his cruel words. Males were to treat females with upmost respect and were punished if that were not the case. _This warrior clearly doesn't have any respect towards women, _Kitana thought as she approached him.

"I am Kitana, Princess of Outworld!" The sapphire-clad woman declared, raising her hand offensively. "And I deal harshly with sharp tongued intruders!" Kitana spat before taking her kombat stance.

Sektor jumped at Kitana with a teleport uppercut, which sent the Princess into the air. She managed to regain her footing and charge at Sektor with her fans, throwing them at his chest, cutting at his armour. Kitana continued her assault, slashing at the Lin Kuei cyborg with her fans in a spinning motion and levitating him into the air.

Kitana threw her fans at Sektor, and teleported behind him. Quickly catching her fans and closing them, she stabbed him in the back of the head. Leaving the weapons protruding out of Sektor's head, Kitana teleported again, reappearing in front of him, and stabbed him in the eyes, nearly blinding him.

Having won the fight, Kitana approached Sektor, ready to deal the final blow. However, before she could kill him, the Lin Kuei warrior teleported away.

"_BLAST HIM_!" Kitana spat, as she wanted to kill the Lin Kuei and redeem herself to her father. Having half succeeded in her mission, Kitana returned to the Koliseum, at her fathers side.


	4. Despair

Kitana had returned to her fathers side at the Koliseum, watching as a string of events folded at the tournament. Scorpion was fighting Ermac, the soul construct warrior who had been defeated by Liu Kang previously. As she looked around, the Princess of Outworld saw Skarlet standing with Smoke. Kitana was shocked that her ally and fellow assassin were not standing with the Emperor, but she had suspected Skarlet's betrayal. Out of all of the warriors of Shao Kahn, Skarlet was the worst off. She was almost always confined to the pillars in the Koliseum unless she was sent on a mission.

However, Jade was standing by the Emperor's side. _Her loyalty is still to Shao_ _Kahn at this point,_ Kitana thought. However, Jade only returned to the Emperor's side in order to save herself from his wrath. The green-clad kunoichi hadn't a clue as to where Skarlet would be at this point, but she too had suspected the betrayal.

The fight between the two ninjas continued. Scorpion's speed gave him the advantage in this fight, as did his kunai and hellfire powers. Ermac was unable to keep up with the spectre, and was unfamiliar with his techniques. The telekinetic attacks of the Outworlder were unable to connect, as Scorpion was exceptionally quick and would easily trip Ermac with a slide and brutally uppercut him.

Ermac, weak and tired, had rips in his clothing, revealing open wounds and his skin. He threw a punch at Scorpion, only for the spectre to snap the bone by jamming it upwards. Ermac cried out in pain as the bone broke. He foolishly attempted to kick Scorpion, only for his leg to be caught and his knee to be snapped. Uppercutting Ermac once more, Scorpion won the fight.

"Scorpion wins!" Shang Tsung announced. Tarkatan Guards came to Ermac's aid and took him away to a recovery room. Scorpion returned to Lord Raiden's side, and stood with Sub-Zero, Jade, and Cyrax. Skarlet and Smoke were on the other side of Raiden.

"The next match will be Kenshi, versus Reiko!" Shang Tsung declared. Reiko was a mysterious Outworld warrior who seemed to be working for Shao Kahn. He had tanned skin of a similar shade to Jade's, and white eyes. He had black tattoos over his eyes and dark hair. Reiko wore silver shoulderplates with maroon accents, black forearm guards and straps of the same colour that were decorated with silver spikes. Reiko also wore a silver belt with armour on the sides, similar to that around his shoulders, black pants, a maroon loincloth lined with silver studs, and black kombat boots, also lined with silver spikes.

Kenshi was a blind warrior that had short brown hair and wore a red sash over his eyes. He wore dark silver armour with red accents, and a white sash across his chest. He wielded a sword that would emit blue light, due to the souls that controlled it.

The two fighters approached eachother. Kenshi's sword acted as a guard dog and would allow him to sense his surroundings. As the two warriors took their kombat stances, the fight started. "Begin!"

Reiko threw his shurikens at Kenshi. Knowing that his opponent was blind, the Outworlder knew this would most likely be an easy fight. However, to his surprise, Kenshi used his blade to deflect the projectiles thrown at him. The shurikens flew back at Reiko, slashing at his chest. The Outworlder groaned in pain as he was struck by own weapon.

Kenshi used his soul to attack Reiko with a series of punches, kicks, and overhead sword slashes. Despite the sword-wielder being blind, he was more than capable of defeating a person who could see. Reiko managed to regain his footing and tackled Kenshi with a shouldercharge. He then followed up with a brutal teleport stomp. Kenshi managed to stop Reiko's assault with a series of overhead and upward slashes of his sword.

Whilst Reiko was still airborne, Kenshi decided to use this opportunity to finish his opponent off. Throwing his sword at Reiko, Kenshi teleported in front of him and delivered a brutal strike to the Outworlder's forehead with the hilt of his sword. Grabbing his sword, Kenshi sliced upwards on Reiko's chest, cutting his ribs open.

"Kenshi wins!" Shang Tsung announced. The Emperor started to get worried, as Earthrealm's warriors were prevailing over Outworld. They wouldn't be able to absorb Earthrealm if they lost again.

After Reiko was taken to the recovery room for his wounds to be treated, and Kenshi returned to where the other warriors stood, the Lin Kuei cyborgs showed up. Sub-Zero knew what they were going to try and do; kidnap him and Cyrax. Bi-Han would not let that happen to his new ally or himself. Approaching his enemies, Sub-Zero attempted to fight them off, but he had fallen into a trap.

The Lin Kuei cyborgs surrounded Sub-Zero and prepared to automate him. Sektor approached Shao Kahn, who was furious. He knew that the red warrior before him was Lin Kuei, the faction which he had sent his personal assassins, Skarlet, Kitana, and Jade to eliminate. Clearly, they failed.

"I request that it be made possible to return him to my temple for judgement," Sektor boldly asked the Emperor.

"And what do _I _gain from granting this bold request?" The Emperor shot back, his cat-like eyes glaring at the red cyborg.

"The Lin Kuei's loyalty and service," Sektor replied. He wasn't really sure if he was going to truly offer his service to the Emperor, but he probably would have to, due to his admittance of such.

"Very well. He is yours."

Jade could not bear what was happening to Sub-Zero, as could Smoke and Scorpion. They had to do something. But Shao Kahn was watching. He had just struck a deal with Sektor about the Lin Kuei's loyalty and service being provided if he allowed Sub-Zero to be automated. Jade would surely be punished if she had prevented Sub-Zero from this fate.

Thinking fast, Scorpion drew his hellfire and incinerated the Lin Kuei cyborgs, while Smoke used his cloud to bring Sub-Zero closer to the Earthrealm warriors. Jade silently thanked the two ninjas for saving Sub-Zero. She was forever grateful that she one she loved was still very much human.

Sektor sighed. He did want Sub-Zero automated, but now he didn't have to offer Shao Kahn his allegiance. However, the cyborg did not give up on his mission of automating Smoke and Sub-Zero, and would use the fight between the two realms as an opportunity to do so. Sektor had noticed that Cyrax had been reprogrammed, so he could also try and reprogram his friend to join him once more. He teleported away to someplace unknown, presumably the Lin Kuei temple.

"BAH! Curse those Earthrealmers. I have now lost the Lin Kuei's loyalty," the Emperor complained. Whilst the Emperor moped, the Earthrealmers were grateful that Sub-Zero was safe, and were on top in the tournament.

Once Shao Kahn had noticed that the Lin Kuei warrior, Sektor, had disappeared, he turned to his daughter, who was standing on the right hand side of him. Shang Tsung and Jade stood on the left hand side of the throne, with Reptile.

"Kitana!" Shao Kahn shouted, instantly getting her attention. The sapphire-clad princess had never seen her father look so angry. She knew why this was; she had failed her mission to intercept the Lin Kuei cyborgs.

If looks could kill, Kitana would be in cut up pieces and drowning in a pool of her own blood. "How is it that _Earthrealm _ninjas **brazenly **appear before me, when _my daughter, PRINCESS _OF OUTWORLD, was sent to **intercept **them!"

How would Kitana tell her father that before she could deliver the final blow, the warrior disappeared? There was no way he would accept such an answer. She would surely have to face the music and take whatever punishment would be placed upon her. "Father, I…" Kitana began.

"Be gone!" The Emperor spat, rudely dismissing his daughter.

Jade decided to go after her friend and comfort her, while Raiden saw this as the perfect opportunity to have Kitana jump ship and join Earthrealm.

"Kitana's faith is a slender reed, bent before the storm. If it can be uprooted all together…" Raiden began as he went on to follow Jade.

Smoke and Johnny Cage decided to go with Raiden. "Sure, let's go ruin someone else's life," the movie star said arrogantly.

Skarlet saw that Smoke was leaving, and began to worry for his safety. "Where are you going, Smoke? Let me come with you."

"I cannot, Skarlet. Stay here, with Sub-Zero and the others. I will return soon," Smoke said.

"I know what you are trying to do. Kitana is a friend of mine! I can help you convince her to defect and join Earthrealm in the fight against Shao Kahn," Skarlet protested. She could indeed persuade Kitana to jump ship, as they were close friends. Skarlet knew a _very _useful piece of information that would turn both Kitana _and _Jade against the Emperor.

"Please, Skarlet," Smoke began, "Stay here. For me."

Skarlet could not find it in herself to beg for Smoke to take her with him. "Fine," she growled before turning her back and heading towards Sub-Zero and Cyrax.


	5. A True Daughter

_Wastelands of Outworld_

Jade and Kitana stood on the beach, arguing over what just took place at the tournament. Jade felt bad inside; she was being a hypocrite and she was only acting like this to hide her true allegiance. She really wanted to tell the truth and say that she didn't give a total shit that Kitana had failed the Emperor, but for the moment, Jade had to pretend who her allegiance was to. She was plotting the write moment to jump ship and betray Kahn.

"Is this how you show your loyalty Jade?" Kitana implored harshly. The sapphire-clad warrior wanted to be alone to think about everything, whilst Jade wouldn't allow her a moment of privacy, which bothered her.

"Kitana, I-" Jade was cut off by Kitana's sharp, aggressive tongue.

"You follow me when I _clearly _wish to be **alone**. Then you upbraid me?! I will _not _be scolded like some **child**!" Kitana chastised her bodyguard for her disobedience.

"You need to be careful. I have never seen your father this angry with you," Jade calmly retorted as she tried to reason with Kitana, who raised her hand dismissively at the green-clad kunoichi, implying that she should leave.

Not taking the hint, Jade continued to hinder her friend in an attempt to reason with her. "You are a _princess. _He expects more from you than this."

"I know what he expects!" Kitana shouted as she turned to face her friend.

Fed up with Kitana's ignorance, Jade finally decided to leave her alone. Shaking her head, Jade spoke again, "We will take later. When you are in more of a mind to listen," before leaving the Wastelands.

Kitana sighed, angry that she had to go through all of this before she could have some peace and quiet. However, this was short lived, as more unwanted guests showed up.

A flash of lightning appeared, and from it, Smoke, Raiden, and Johnny Cage appeared. "Princess Kitana, I request an audience," Raiden implored as he and his allies approached the woman.

"Earthrealmers! You dare approach me?!" Kitana shouted. She immediately thought that she could turn this into a chance to redeem herself to her father by killing the warriors before her. Johnny Cage continued to walk closer to her.

"Listen honey, we don't want to fight."

"But we will if we must," Smoke spoke, finishing Johnny's sentence.

"You will learn respect!" Kitana said, fed up with how people had been treated her lately.

Kitana threw her fans at Smoke, and continued to follow up with several kicks and slashes. Smoke could barely keep up with her; she was way to quick. As he tried to connect with a teleport uppercut, Kitana levitated him with her fans, immediately disrupting his kombos and jarring him. Johnny Cage then stepped up to kombat the Outworld Princess. Unlike Smoke, the movie star managed to get some hits in.

Johnny didn't hold back, and fought her as he would any other opponent. Hell, he even used his nut punch on her. The pain subdued Kitana for a good five seconds, allowing Johnny to land several hits in. However, Kitana would not go down so easily. Flying behind Johnny, she executed a series of brutal slashes, swipes, and kicks that were too fast for Johnny to block, counter or dodge. Kitana had defeated both warriors in no time.

"Shao Kahn wants death to follow kombat," Kitana began, "I will give it to him."

Raiden approached, standing at Johnny's side. "Perhaps Liu Kang was wrong about you," he began, helping the actor up, "Or perhaps, he sensed, as I do, that there is conflict within you."

"Thanks," Johnny Cage cracked his neck, "Ow. Couldn't have seen that in one of your hot flashes?" He questioned before going to stand next to Smoke. Raiden took the somewhat private moment with Kitana to speak with her and convince the Princess to jump ship.

"You need answers Kitana. I can help you find them, if you will trust in me," Raiden started. "You are much more like Sindel then Shao Kahn…" the Thunder God's voice trailed off as he had a vision of the late Queen of Edenia. "But…she is dead."

Kitana looked at Raiden, her emotions a mixture of curiosity and anger. _Really? I did not know that_, Kitana thought sarcastically. "My mother is dead, yes. Why do you…" The Princess' voice trailed off as she was cut off my Raiden. "Go to Shang Tsung's flesh pits. Much will be revealed there."

Kitana quirked an eyebrow at that location. She was unable to go there as of late for some reason. She knew that Shang Tsung used the Flesh Pits to do his 'dirty work,' but none of that involved Kitana at all. Kitana had no idea as to why she couldn't go there, but it didn't really matter.

"The Flesh Pits? But I am forbidden to-"

"Yes, you are. And why is that?" Raiden pondered.

"I…don't know. Tell me," Kitana asked, hoping Raiden would know. The Thunder God usually knew a lot of things, but he was not telling Kitana. At least, what was important.

"You must discover your true path, alone," Raiden said as he left with Smoke and Johnny Cage.

Kitana frowned, disappointed that she had been abandoned. Quickly doing something about the time she had alone, the Princess ventured into the Living Forest, as she knew that from there, there was a shortcut to the Flesh Pits.

As she ventured into the peculiar forest, Kitana felt a familiar presence following her. Jade.

"Show yourself, Jade! I know you're following me, again…" Kitana cried out. She was frustrated that her friend was being difficult to deal with, when all she wanted was to know the truth. The Princess expected this out of Jade, however. She, for some reason, was the most obedient. Most likely because Kahn treated her exceptionally well. The Emperor didn't expect a lot from Jade, only that she be a good bodyguard to Kitana and prevent her from betraying the Emperor. He didn't confine her to the Koliseum, either.

Jade revealed herself from the trees nearby. "Following you _still. _I know where you're going. I am ordered to prevent you from going there," the green kunoichi explained.

"And why is that?" Kitana pondered, trying to find out why her friend was not assisting her on her quest for the truth.

"I do not question the Emperor's commands," Jade began. "Kitana please…turn back."

Kitana was now glaring at her friend. "I cannot. This path might lead me to the truth," she began. Jade still wouldn't budge. "I'm sorry, Jade, but I will not allow you to stop me."

It was not long until Kitana incapacitated her ally, and left her in the Forest. "I tried to warn you," Kitana began, looking at the unconscious Jade. "This is something I have to do," the Princess said as she left to the Flesh Pits.

It did not take the Princess a long time to get to her desired location. Walking down a large flight of stairs, Kitana found that there were a lot of tubes, containing dead test subjects. They were deformed replicas of Kitana, mutated with Tarkatan and Shokan blood. As she continued to walk through the forbidden chamber, Kitana saw a clone that looked _exactly _like her, but with the Tarkatan visage and shorter hair.

"What in the name of…" Kitana quietly said to herself, shocked.

As she turned around, she saw a splitting image of the clone she had just examined in the tube. The clone was sleeping on a bloody desk, and was covered in bandages around her breasts and legs.

"She looks like…me…" Kitana spoke. Though what she said wasn't a shout, she had unintentionally woken the clone. She opened her yellow eyes, which had black cat-like slits, similar to Baraka. Her mouth was curled in a 'smile', revealing her Tarkatan teeth. They were a lot smaller than Baraka's.

The clone had tanned skin, and shoulderlength black hair. She was Kitana's height, and had the same figure as the Princess.

"Sister!" The clone greeted, upon seeing Kitana. The Princess gasped and backed away from the woman before her. Much to her dismay, the clone continued to follow her. "So pretty, so fair…so sad and alone!" The woman spoke. There was a big distance between the two women now. "Come," the feral woman began, holding out her arms, "Let us be a family!"

Kitana was absolutely disgusted by the strange woman's claims. Never had she been more repulsed in her life! "You are not my family! You are a monstrosity!" Kitana shouted at the woman. Though the clone did not show it, she was deeply affected by her 'sisters' words.

The two kunoichis began their fight. Mileena tucked herself into a ball and rolled towards Kitana, attempting to knock her off her feet, but the sapphire-clad Princess blocked it and savagely uppercutted the half-Tarkatan. Kitana charged at her opponent, slashing at her chest with her fans and launching herself into the air with a series of kicks. Mileena was the inexperienced warrior, and with how things were going now, there was no way she could win.

The two women continued to clash. Kitana still had the upper hand and was flogging Mileena. Though Mileena was quick, Kitana was more powerful and experienced in kombat, whereas Mileena had not received sufficient training yet.

Mileena could not fight anymore, as was defeated. Kitana took this as an excellent opportunity to _kill _her 'sibling.'

Grabbing Mileena by her throat and helping the clone to her feet, Kitana stabbed Mileena in the torso with her fans, nearly slicing her body in half horizontally. She then stabbed Mileena in the face and sliced her face in half, vertically.

Waves of success and joy flowed through Kitana's being, as she knew she had eliminated a dire threat. However, anxiety ran threw her. She knew that Shang Tsung would surely find Mileena's corpse, but whether or not he would know if it was Kitanahad yet to be seen.

"That is no way to treat your sibling," Shang Tsung said as he approached Kitana and gestured to Mileena's dead body. Disgust was dripping in his voice, as well as fear. He _feared _for Kitana because of the suffering the Emperor would inflict on her for killing his 'daughter.' Sorcery was a powerful thing and could be used to revive people, but Shang Tsung wasn't sure if he woud be able to revive Mileena in one piece…

Kitana instantly knew that the sorcerer before her was the mastermind behind Mileena's creation, due what he said when he saw her. "Despicable swine! Do you think my father will stand for these…abominations you have created here!" The Princess exclaimed as she gestured to the deceased test subjects nearby.

"I am merely perfecting you, _Princess_, as difficult as that might be," Shang Tsung retorted. _Perfecting? Is this sorcerer for real? He is ruining my appearance! _Kitana thought as the sorcerer said this.

"SILENCE!" Kitana shouted, having heard enough of Shang Tsung. "I will drag you before my father by your pointed beard!"

The two warriors charged at eachother, Shang Tsung shooting a volley of fireballs at Kitana. The Princess was knocked to the ground by the projectiles and cried out in pain as she was struck. Kitana made a comeback by using her fans to levitate the sorcerer and flew into the air and slammed into him, knocking him on the ground. The sorcerer winced in pain as he was struck. Kitana continued her assault, charging at Shang Tsung with her fans, throwing them at his chest, cutting him. She continued to slash at him in a spinning motion and launched herself with a series of kicks.

Thinking he would have a chance, used his magic to pull Kitana closer to him. Grabbing her stomach roughly, he broke her ribs and brutally kneed her in the face. Furious with what he did to her, Kitana decided to finish the fight and bring the sorcerer to Shao Kahn in a weakened state so she could humiliate him. Throwing her fans at the sorcerer, Kitana teleported behind him and stabbed him in the back of the head, making the sorcerer arch his back so he wasbending down. Teleporting in front him, Kitana took the fans out of his head and impaled him in the eyes. Shang Tsung fell to the ground, almost unconscious.

"Get up," Kitana spat as she approached Shang Tsung. He didn't do as she said, so the Princess grabbed him by the throat and held him before her.

"You will stand before my father and confess your deeds!" She shouted as she brutally backhanded him and dropped him on his feet, and pushed him towards the entrance of the Flesh Pits.

It took a while, but eventually, they were at Shao Kahn's throneroom. She gestured for the Tarkatan guards to grab Shang Tsung and bring him before the Emperor. Kitana walked with them so that she could speak with her father about Shang Tsung's deeds.

"I would not disturb you, father, if this matter were not of upmost importance. I felt you should know what Shang Tsung has been doing as of late. This _conjuror _has created horrid replicas of _me_, crossbred with _Tarkatan _blood! One was alive…it attacked me!" Kitana informed the Emperor. The Tarkatans nearby glared at Kitana for implying that their essence was the reason the replicas of her were horrid. Nonetheless, they did not step out of line. They dared not to attack the Emperor's daughter in front of him.

"You are forgetting something, _Princess_," Shang Tsung spat. He was hinting at how Kitana had not mentioned the fact that she had killed the replica of her.

"I killed the one who attacked me, in self defence." Kitana decided to be honest, even if it meant the most severe punishment from her father. Growing up, Kitana learnt that it was always the right thing to tell the truth, in _any _situation.

"Well done, sorcerer," Shao Kahn said to Shang Tsung. The Tarkatans released their grip on the sorcerer, who stood up and smiled mockingly at Kitana, who glared at him. "You know?! You…approve?! How could you…my own _father_!"

Kitana was shocked that her father was pleased about the sorcerer's doings. She suddenly remembered what Raiden said to her before she went to the Flesh Pits, and knew this was what he meant.

_Go to Shang Tsung's Flesh Pits. Much will be revealed there._

"I am your Emperor!" Shao Kahn shouted at the Princess, who's heart sunk to her boots. The life she lived was nothing but a lie. "Your _father _was a weakling Edenian king. I annihilated him and took his queen as my wife while I merged his realm with Outworld. If only I had not allowed Sindel to convince me of your worth…I should have killed you anyways. Because of you, I will never know what it's like to have a true daughter!"

The Emperor gestured to the Tarkatans to grab Kitana. They did as asked, roughly grabbing her arms. She thrashed around helplessly. "Escort her to the Tower. I will make an example of her," the Emperor requested.

Little did anyone know, that all this time, Jade was watching on. She felt extremely guilty that she had not helped her friend in the first place and encouraged her to jump ship, like she did. Her true colours could now be revealed.

"I failed you, Kitana. Now, I will make amends," Jade quietly said to herself as she set off to rescue her friend.

**-I have almost finished the MK2 story arc! Just one more chapter to go.**

**-As you can see, I have altered Kitana and Mileena's meeting. In the original timeline (MK2) Kitana **_**did **_**kill Mileena, which was why she was sentenced to execution. Unlike Mk9, Kitana didn't kill Mileena, and was instead sentenced for aligning herself with Earthrealm.**

**-I will be quicker in getting updates in. **


	6. The Taste of Victory

_Armoury _

Jade had left the Emperor's throneroom on her quest to rescue Kitana from execution. She wanted to tell Skarlet of this and have the red clad assassin help her so that the mission would be easier, but Jade had no way of contacting her. She continued to the Armoury, as she knew a shortcut of getting to the Tower from there.

As she entered the Armoury, she saw Baraka and a Tarkatan sorting out the weapons that Shang Tsung had recently acquired from Kano, a member of the Black Dragon clan. Jade stealthily waited for the Tarkatan to leave so that she could confront Baraka and eliminate him from stopping her on her mission. Though the Tarkatans were powerful warriors, they are slow and incompetent. Jade could easily take on two at once, but didn't want things to get out of hand. She simply came here to rescue her friend.

The Tarkatan who was assisting Baraka grabbed a gun and pointed it to Baraka's head. Though he was only being playful, Baraka took this seriously. "That is no toy! It belongs to Shang Tsung!" The General shouted as he snatched the gun from his allies hand and placed it in a case. "We are finished. Return to your post."

Seeing that the Tarkatan had left the Armoury, Jade decided to reveal herself and make haste. "Stand aside, I will see Kitana," Jade said in a bold voice to Baraka. Both warriors approached eachother, and Jade knew that she would have to fight her way through her opponents in order to help Kitana. "No one enters the Tower," Baraka shot back. Jade took a few steps closer, "You are an excellent guard dog, Baraka. But you must learn to heel," Jade mocked. Baraka was clueless as to what Jade meant. "I do not take orders from you!"

It was not long before Baraka was defeated by the Edenian. "_Good boy_," Jade teased. He laid on the ground, helpless and in pain. A large bruise was on the side of his head. "Urgh…Edenians have no loyalty," the Tarkatan remarked, referring to her rebel against the Emperor. Jade smirked, and looked down at her enemy. "Blind loyalty is not a good thing as I have learned. You must keep your eyes open, to anticipate the finishing blow," she remarked. Baraka was again confused about what Jade said. "What are you-" He was cut off by Jade stomping on his forehead, knocking him unconscious. "You make it _too easy_," she said before continuing to the Tower.

Walking to the destination, Jade stealthily went up to the place where Kitana was chained to. She found the Princess being guarded by Sheeva, a member of the Shokan race. This part of the Fortress wasn't entirely decorated. It only had a blue carpet, grim looking tombs that stood upright with skeletal corpses and Shadow Priests. There was also large windows on the wall. The Tower was high enough that you could see clouds through the windows.

Kitana was being held to one of the tombs through magic, most likely created by either Shang Tsung or the Emperor. The moment she saw her ally, she gave off her presence.

"Jade!" The Princess called out. The green-clad kunoichi was disappointed that Kitana had given off her presence. She would now have to fight Sheeva in order to rescue Kitana. _Urgh. Things don't need to be more difficult than they are_, Jade thought. The Shokan female approached Jade, ready to fight her off. Sheeva had infallible loyalty to the Emperor, and would do anything to honour him.

"My orders are clear. _No one _is allowed in the Tower," Sheeva said as she saw Jade. "As you can see, I am here," the green shinobi mocked. She used sarcasm to toy with her opponent's emotions, so that she would have the upper hand in battle. Sheeva snorted at her enemies remark. "Here to help the Princess escape," she concluded, "You would _deny _her execution, only means of regaining her honour?!"

Jade drew her Bojutsu and shortened it so that she could hold it in the palm of her hand, and took her kombat stance. "We have _very _different concepts of honour, Shokan," she remarked.

The two women clashed at eachother instantly. Sheeva disappeared with a teleport stomp, but Jade countered with an upward swipe with her staff. Sheeva quickly stood up and stomped on the ground, knocking Jade onto the ground. Jade quickly regained her footing and charged at her enemy with her staff. Elongating it, she struck the Shokan with her staff and leapt into the air, hitting Sheeva with an overhead. She continued her brutal kombo with an upward swipe. Charging at her airborne enemy, Jade ran behind her and slammed her staff inbetween Sheeva's legs, and smashed it into her opponents back.

Sheeva fell down, unconscious. Jade's brutality had won the fight, and she could now rescue Kitana. Walking over to her ally, Jade immediately took it upon herself to start removing the bonds that confined Kitana. "Now, Your Highness, let us see how quickly we can remove this bonds," the green-clad assassin began. Kitana felt bad for how she had previously treated her friend, and decided to make amends. "Jade, I…" she began. Her friend quickly caught on to what she was trying to say, and finished off her sentence, "I am too."

Jade's attempt to free Kitana wasn't working, and they had been found out. "Do not let them get away!" A female shrieked. The two women recognised the voice as that of Tanya's, a fellow Edenian. "Go, find Raiden. Ask for his help," Kitana implored upon hearing Tanya's voice. Jade nodded and ran to the Wastelands, where she could hopefully find Raiden.

"That should distance me from any pursuers," Jade said, remarking on how she had incapacitated the warriors she came across as she ran to the Wastelands. However, she was not alone for long. Yellow energy rose from above, and from it came Tanya. "Others pursue, I find," the yellow-clad woman said as she approached her enemy. _Go away, Tanya_, Jade thought. "You must return with me; there is to be a celebration for the Princess!" Tanya gleefully called out, as if she was pleased with Kitana's death. Jade was disgusted that the fellow Edenian was more loyal to Shao Kahn and Shang Tsung than her own brethren.

"She's going away…" Tanya's voice trailed off.

Jade ran at Tanya with a shadow kick, knocking her enemy to the ground. Tanya quickly regained her footing and teleported above Jade and kicked her in the face, twice in a row. She continued her assault with a ball roll and a series of upward slashes with her Kobo Jutsus. Jade managed to regain her footing and struck Tanya with her razorang. She was not one to hold back. Slamming the staff over Tanya's head, Jade followed up with a series of shadow kicks and a grapple throw. Knocking Tanya unconscious with a series of strikes to the head, Jade continued on her search for Raiden.

"There is no place in this world for traitors such as yourself, Tanya," Jade coldly remarked as she kicked Tanya in the head. "I must find Raiden."

As she continued on, a flash of bright light appeared, and from it, Sub-Zero and Scorpion appeared. The two were accompanied by Johnny Cage, Liu Kang, Kung Lao, Smoke, Skarlet, and Raiden. "He is here," Raiden said. It was unusual in how he said this, as he never spoke in third person. Nonetheless, Jade had succeeded in her mission, which was to find the Thunder God.

Smoke looked at the unconscious woman before them, thinking it was Kitana. However, he knew it was not the Princess. Kitana never wore yellow, nor did she have dark skin. He was about to chastise the green-clad kunoichi for her doings, but his instincts told him not to. Skarlet would surely lecture him about harming her friend pointlessly.

"Lord Raiden, I come at the request of Kitana. She has found out about Shang Tsung's cloning of her, and killed the clone. For this, Shao Kahn has ordered her execution. Kitana does not have much time," Jade said.

Johnny's ears perked up when he heard Jade call Raiden 'Lord.' Snickering, he spoke his mind. "Lord? I was with Smoke. I thought she was a bad guy – er, girl. What's Raiden got that I haven't got?" He pondered.

Liu Kang and Kung Lao, who were standing next to the movie star, looked at him with smiles on their faces. "God-like power?" Liu Kang said.

_Correct! _Scorpion said to himself mentally. He secretly laughed at this, while maintaining a straight face. That was all he could truly do, as he had no other choice, really.

Kung Lao then spoke up. "A personality that isn't at all like sanding paper?"

_Correct! _Sub-Zero said to himself mentally. His mask concealed his lips, so his true feelings on what the hat-wearing monk said would be discrete.

Johnny Cage frowned, dissapointedly. "Jerks."

Everyone's ears perked up as they heard of Kitana's fate. Scorpion was the most worried out of all of them. "Kitana…executed? Where is she?!"

"Held captive in the Tower of Shao Kahn's fortress," Jade replied. Scorpion knew this would not be easy, but he would do whatever he could to free the woman he loved. He knew Liu Kang also had affections for Kitana, so Scorpion would have some competition.

Liu Kang was glaring daggers at Raiden. "I am not pleased with this outcome either, Liu Kang, but we must fight in the tournament." The Thunder God's comment had pushed Liu Kang over the edge. "But _YOU _are responsible for _her _capture! _You _persuaded her to turn against Shao Kahn!"

Raiden was now glaring daggers at Liu Kang. Scorpion sighed, and thought of an easy way to get Kitana's attention and eliminate Liu Kang from the 'competition.' "Lord Raiden, Sub-Zero and I can free her, as others fight in our stead," the yellow ninja gestured to his ally, who stood by his side. Raiden was smiling now. "Very well," he said before returning to the tournament with the other warriors, whilst Bi-Han and Hanzo went to the Tower.

They saw no sign of Kitana in the Tower. The two ninjas knew that Jade wasn't one to lie. "Hmmm…they must have relocated Kitana," Scorpion observed. As if it was on cue, Sub-Zero and Scorpion were met by two aspects who barged through the door. It was the two Shokan, Goro and Sheeva.

"We have indeed," Sheeva began. "We knew someone would come for her. May you join her in death."

The two ninjas faced off against the Shokans. Scorpion's speed got the better of Sheeva. His fire was much more powerful than hers, and he was also much faster and more skilful than her. On the other hand, Sub-Zero's ice powers had a huge advantage, as he cunningly created ice clones to counter Goro's every move. The Shokan are not known for their intelligence, so it was an easy fight for the Cryomancer.

Sheeva lay on the ground, unconscious once again. Goro, however, was still conscious, but was also on the ground. "Now if you had _any _honour left…" Sub-Zero began, "You _will _tell us where Kitana is."

Goro swallowed. He was in a vulnerable position; weak, tired, and dizzy. He could easy be killed at any moment by either of the two ninjas. "She has been taken to the Koliseum. Where she has no doubt been executed." Goro's words were the truth, but they nonetheless angered the warriors before him.

"You lie!" Scorpion shouted before stomping of Goro's head aggressively. Sub-Zero looked up at Scorpion thoughtfully, "She may have lived. Let us go."

With that, the two ninjas headed to the Koliseum in order to rescue their friend. They saw her confined inbetween two pillars, chained at the arms and legs. She was being guarded by two Tarkatans.

"There is Kitana!" Scorpion said. "I must free her," he said before running towards the Princess and drawing his swords. Slashing at her confinements with his Mugai Ryu, the Princess suddenly fell to the ground, as she had nothing holding her up. Extending his hand kindly, the Princess grabbed it and stood up.

"Thanks," she said, smiling. "For a moment there I wasn't sure what side you were on." Scorpion smiled back, underneath his mask. "Story of my life. Come. Jade has joined us. You should, as well." Kitana thought for a moment, and nodded. She couldn't rejoin Shao Kahn after his failed attempt to have her killed.

As Scorpion and Kitana approached the Earthrealmers, Shao Kahn decided to do continue on with the Tournament. "Raiden!" He shouted, grabbing the Thunder God's attention. "Put forth a worthy challenger, _if you can_."

Scorpion looked at Raiden, who nodded at him, meaning that he should fight. The spectre nodded back, and approached the Emperor, who smirked. "You will face Shang Tsung!"

Scorpion nodded, ready for his awaiting challenge. Though Shang Tsung was equipped with dark sorcery and the element of fire, he would be no match for Scorpion's hellfire and vast arsenal. He could easily use his Mugai Ryu to hack Shang Tsung to pieces.

The two kombatants stood before eachother, and took their respective stances. "FIGHT!" The Emperor called. Shang Tsung shot a volley of fireballs at the demon, but Scorpion teleported behind the sorcerer and attacked him with a series of uppercuts. Tsung cried out as he was struck, but Scorpion did not relent. The spectre drew his spear and it impaled Shang Tsung in the chest, dazing him temporarily, and struck him with an overhead with the Mugai Ryu.

Shang Tsung fell to the ground and regained his footing. He sent Scorpion into the air with a ground fireball, and continued the assault with a series of fireball attacks. Though Scorpion wasn't exactly _alive_, it still hurt very much.

Deciding to end the fight, the demon drew his spear, which once again impaled Shang Tsung and brought him closer to Scorpion. Taking advantage of the fact that he was dazed, the demon teleported behind the sorcerer and punched him in the ear, with such force that it knocked him to the ground. He then stepped on Shang Tsung's chest, causing the sorcerer to cough up blood.

"SCORPION WINS!"

The demon smirked at his victory over Shang Tsung. "You sorcerers claim to be so powerful, when you are weak, pathetic pieces of shit."

Shang Tsung picked himself up and returned to Shao Kahn's side. He was clutching his chest, due to the pain from the fight he just had. The sorcerer wasn't sure if sorcery couldn't cure such pain.

Suddenly, from one of the chambers in the Koliseum came a _giant _creature. It had four arms, like that of Goro and Sheeva, and had a tiger-like appearance. Nobody had seen this creature before. Scorpion suspected it to be a brethren of the Shokan Goro and Sheeva.

The creature let out a loud roar and flexed it's muscles, earning roars from the crowd. Scorpion wasn't scared; he was shocked that such an opponent would look so intimidating, despite it's weakness. The demon could _easily _defeat the creature, without any help at all.

"I will make you wish you were _NEVER _reborn, demon!" The Shokan shouted at him. Scorpion smirked at this. "_I _will make _YOU _wish you were never born, Shokan," he shot back before taking his kombat stance.

The two warriors fought eachother. Scorpion was too fast for the giant, who could barely keep up with the spectre's velocity and swift attacks. It was not long before the fight was over.

"HA! Fucking idiot," Scorpion mocked. Kintaro picked himself up and went to stand with Shao Kahn. The Emperor was disappointed with Outworld warriors losing matches, so he decided to take matters into his own hands.

Swiftly jumping out of his throne, Shao Kahn turned to face Scorpion. "You have come to the last fight of the tournament, Scorpion. Earthrealm's fate is in your hands."

Scorpion ignored his comment, and took his kombat stance.

"Foolish demon. Do you think you can easily win against me? Pfft. You will taste no victory."

The Emperor was unsurprisingly brutal with his wrath hammer, which he tossed and struck Scorpion with. He used a series of overhead and upward strikes, which sent the demon into the air. Scorpion managed to regain his footing and retaliate with his teleport attacks. He was even able to throw the Emperor across the arena, breaking one of the pillars nearby while he was at it.

Scorpion grabbed the Emperor by the throat and slashed at him twice with his swords, and followed up with a backflip kick.

The Emperor; _the Emperor_, was defeated.

Shao Kahn was one of the strongest beings in all of the realms, and so defeating him was considered to be some kind of miracle.

"_On your feet_," Scorpion growled at the Emperor, who managed to stand up. His armour was bloody and broken. His skin was bruise-ridden and his eyes were orange and pained.

Scorpion's hand started glowing with fire as he punched through the Emperor's chest, leaving a huge gap. His lungs and ribs were visible, and he started to cough up blood before falling down.

"May you forever rot in hell for your deeds, Emperor."

Earthrealm had won again, but the future remained in peril. Scorpion went to Raiden, who was smiling. The Thunder God was glad that Shao Kahn was finished, and that Earthrealm would forever be safe.

Checking his amulet, Raiden only saw more cracks appear. Sighing, he put it away, and looked down. "Though Shao Kahn is dead, and Earthrealm is safe, the future remains in peril. I am out of ideas about what we should do," the Thunder God said.

Kitana looked at Scorpion in awe. He had freed her, and then defeated every challenge thrown at him. She could feel herself crushing on the demon, but was it really what she wanted?

Suddenly, a bright light shone around Scorpion. The light came from the sky, and looked somewhat heavily. It shone around him. As it did, Scorpion's appearance _changed_.

The light suddenly faded away, and the man that stood before the Earthrealmers was not Scorpion, but Hanzo Hasashi…

**-Sorry for the long overdue update. As I was halfway through finishing it, the computer malfunctioned and I couldn't use it, so I had to get it repaired. Fucking Apple Macbook quality. Oh well. **

**-The reason why I'm not putting much effort into the fight scenes is because they're not as important as the actual story.**

**-The MK2 story arc has been completed. Now to MK3!**


	7. Bewitched

**-I would just like to thank everyone for their reviews! This is the most amount of reviews I have received on any fanfic of mine. Thankyou so much and God Bless you all!**

**-Enough of me, here is chapter 7! Enjoy!**

_Shao Kahn's Throneroom_

Slowly, but surely, Shao Kahn woke up from his deep slumber. He had not been killed by Scorpion, despite the fact that a burning hand impaled him in the chest. The Emperor would have died, however, if it wasn't for Reiko's sorcery.

"Urgh…" the Emperor groaned as he sat up, clutching his stomach. He felt his chest, and saw that the hole that was there before had been healed. There was a massive scar on his chest instead.

"Reiko? Is that you?" Shao Kahn asked. He rubbed his eyes and saw that the man before him was in fact Reiko. The Outworlder had proved his loyalty to the Emperor by helping him cheat death.

"Yes, Emperor. It is I. My sorcery saved you. Had I not found you quicker, you would've been done for."

Shao Kahn cringed at the thought of _dying_. He was too great for that. There was too much to do before he could die. Too many realms to conquer. Too many people to enslave.

"What has happened to everyone else? Do they still live?" Shao Kahn asked. He had been out cold for the past three hours, and had not heard from his allies beforehand.

"Yes, Emperor. Everybody is still alive. I will take them to you, if that is what you want."

Shao Kahn nodded at this, and Reiko immediately helped him up. The two warriors walked into the Throneroom, where all of the warriors before them were bickering about who should rule in the Emperor's place, due to his death.

"Ermac is his newest creation. He should rule!" Baraka protested. Shang Tsung smirked at this. "Ermac?! He only exists because of _my _sorcery!" The sorcerer retorted.

The whole thing was amusing to both Reiko and Shao Kahn, who were quietly snickering over the matter. The Emperor found it ridiculous that his comrades were fighting over who should take his place. _It would shock them if they knew I was alive_, he thought. Going along with this, Shao Kahn decided to reveal himself.

"And you _breathe _because I restrain mine," the Emperor shot. Shang Tsung jumped as he turned around to face the Emperor. "Emperor!" Sheeva called. "You live!" Another comrade said. Shao Kahn snickered at their remarks. "I am not killed so easily. Reiko's sorcery accelerated my healing." He told this lie so he would not dishonour himself in front of his comrades.

Shang Tsung walked up to him, "Emperor-"

Shao Kahn glared daggers at him, "**Not. One. Word. **Because of _you_, I can no longer merge Earthrealm with Outworld!"

Reiko thought quickly of an alternative method. He had been secretly planning a way to eliminate Shao Kahn through deception. This would now be his moment.

"There may be another alternative, Emperor. _Invasion_," Reiko suggested.

Shao Kahn and Shang Tsung looked at the sorcerer, eyes wide with surprise. "I-Invasion?!" Shang Tsung began before he was silenced by Shao Kahn.

"Do you _mock _me?! Sindel's ward prevents me from setting foot in Earthrealm!" Shao Kahn shouted at Reiko.

"Have you considered _why _your wife and Empress chose to betray you in this particular fashion?" The dark-skinned sorcerer pondered.

"Of course. But even after millennia, her motives are still a mystery."

"She realized that the safeguards afforded by the Elder Gods through Mortal Kombat are but fiction. She sacrificed herself to give Earthrealm protection the Elder Gods could not. So Earthrealm could not suffer as had Edenia."

Reiko then turned to face Shao Kahn, "I have mastered the spells necessary for her resurrection. Her ward will be nullified, and with it, the barrier that prevents your entry to Earthrealm."

Shao Kahn was doing backflips in his head. He would be able to conquer Earthrealm with his beloved Sindel at his side.

"I am wary of sorcerers, Reiko. Prove your worth. Bring her to me."

The sorcerer nodded. "I will return her to you of course. You will find her much more…cooperative."

_Jade's Desert_

Reiko and Tanya then went to the Desert, where Sindel's body was buried. Through Reiko's magic, he was able to resurrect the fallen Queen.

A female skeleton rose from the sand, and it started to writhe in pain. Flesh and skin grew on the skeleton, and with it, long white hair.

The spell had been complete. Earthrealm's former ally would now be a dangerous foe.

"Sindel," Reiko began, grabbing the woman's attention.

"Reiko.." Sindel trailed, somehow recognising the male, even though they hadn't met.

"Shao Kahn looks forward to your return," Tanya said, joining in on the conversation.

"The Emperor? Yessss…" The bewitching spell had clearly worked. Her loyalty truly was to Shao Kahn, and _no one else._

"What of Kitana?"

"Kitana now sides with the Earthrealm warriors," Tanya informed her.

The Empress frowned. "Then she is _no longer _my daughter! Take me to Shao Kahn!"

Reiko nodded. "As you wish, Empress."

Standing up, he turned to face Tanya.

"The invasion of Earthrealm can now begin…"

**-This was a short, yet somewhat sharp introduction to the MK3 story arc.**

**-I apologise for the cliffhanger at the end.**

**-I guess you could say Reiko's the new Quan Chi.**

**-Will Sindel's loyalty falter, or will she stay as Shao Kahn's Queen?**

**-Keep reading! I will update sooner than last time. :D**


	8. A New Recruit

**-I was going to post this sooner, but I didn't have Internet for a few days.**

**-Anyway, here it is! Enjoy!**

_Earthrealm Streets _

Shao Kahn had sent his forces to invade Earthrealm. They were lead by Sheeva, and consisted of Reptile, Ermac, Kintaro, and Baraka. Also among them were Baraka's Tarkatan soldiers, Sheeva's Shokan warriors, Motaro, Dragons, and Tormentors.

The Tormentors were large creatures that Shao Kahn would use during wars. Due to their large size, strength, and intimidating looks, they were quite capable of securing Outworld's victory under any circumstance.

Two policemen that were standing on a rooftop examined the invasion. One of them wore a dark-blue police hat and a blue police uniform. He had light blonde hair that was concealed by his hat, and bright blue eyes. He was quite tall and had a muscular build.

The man standing next to him had dark hair, brown eyes, and wore a black and blue police uniform. He was the same height and build as his partner.

"Wow," the dark haired man spoke. "It's not every day you get to see something like this."

"I know," the hat-wearing police man replied. "I never thought I would see this whilst on the job."

As they discussed the situation around them, they noticed a green, reptilian creature scaling the wall nearby and approaching them. The creature looked peculiar, and was nothing like the two men had seen before.

"What the hell is that?!"

"I'm thinking shoot first, ask later."

The men drew their shotguns and fired at the creature. They normally had excellent aim and could easily hit their targets, but none of their bullets seem to have affected the creature at all. He would easily dodge the projectiles and started to climb the wall at a quicker pace.

"What is he…?!"

The creature jumped and landed on the roof, before the two policemen. They continued to shoot at him and attack him, but even now, their attacks did no good. The creature created an acid cloud around him that would act as a shield.

He then shot a giant ball of acid at the long-haired man, who was incapacitated upon being struck. The hat-wearing man began to worry. If his friend was knocked unconscious by a ball of acid within a matter of seconds, how long would he last?

"Enough of this!" He growled. "It's you and me, freakshow!"

The two fought. The policeman surprisingly had the upper hand, as his arsenal was far more useful than the creature, despite it having powers. The policeman's impact grenades were enough to defeat the creature alone.

The green-skinned creature lay unconscious on the ground. The policeman stood over him and snickered.

"Spitting? Sticking out your tongue? Bet your mama's _real _proud."

The policeman's ally had recently regained consciousness. "Kabal! Are you alright?" He helped his friend up and smiled at him.

Kabal stretched. "Thanks, Stryker," he said. The long-haired policeman then looked around, and noticed that the invasion still took place. "What are we supposed to do now? We can't go down there. We'll get killed."

Stryker thought for a moment. "We'll have to. We can't do much up here to stop it."

"I suppose so. But it ain't safe down there."

Ignoring his friend's pleas, Stryker headed to the streets. A large Tormentor walked by, chasing a large group of terrified people. _I wish Stryker would listen to me sometimes, _Kabal thought.

They then saw a dark-skinned woman, dressed in yellow. She had long black hair and white eyes. Kabal was amazed that such a beautiful woman existed, but Stryker was not drawn in by her beauty. He knew she was a foe.

"Wow! Would you look at her?! Friend or foe?" Kabal asked.

"Foe. Definitely."

"Dressed like that?"

"She's using provocative clothing to lure us in, so we can easily fall prey to her. She'll use it to kill us, no doubt. You would fallen into her trap if it wasn't for me."

Kabal sighed, but knew his friend was right. He silently thanked Stryker for usually being the one to 'rescue' him, following the rules, and doing what's right.

Stryker then decided to approach the dark-skinned woman, with the intention of interrogating her. He didn't want to fight, but something was telling him that he would have to if he wanted to be able to question her.

"What are you doing? Are you alright?"

The woman maniacally laughed, "Looking for a new playmate!"

Tanya launched herself at Stryker, attacking him with a flurry of kicks. Stryker regained his footing and threw grenades at her, knocking Tanya to the ground. He then swiftly rolled towards her and, grabbing her, threw her across the street.

Tanya shot balls of fire at him, but Stryker managed to swiftly dodge them. He then used his tazer to stun her, which he was surprisingly successful in doing, considered that Tanya wasn't exactly human.

Stryker then shone his torch in her eyes, temporarily blinding her and causing her to fall down. He then hit her on the head with the torch, and then hit her in the face with his crowbar. Pulling out his tazer once more, he electrocuted her in the neck, causing her body to twitch profusively.

"You're coming with me."

As Stryker approached her, a large pterodactyl swooped by, distracted the policeman. Tanya used the diversion to attack Stryker. Charging at him, she was suddenly blasted by electricity.

A tall, somewhat odd-looking man was levitating in midair. Stryker knew he was the one who had electrocuted his opponent. He was somewhat frightened by this, even though his life had been saved.

"Wow! How'd you do that?" Stryker asked. It was not an everyday thing that Stryker saw somebody shoot something out of their hands, let alone levitate.

As the man approached Stryker, he felt a slight headache come over him. Putting his hand over his forehead, he groaned. The man had had a vision of Stryker joining Earthrealm in the fight against Shao Kahn.

Stryker noticed that the man was in some kind of pain, and wanted to know if he was okay.

"Are you alright?"

The man nodded and turned around, his back now facing Stryker, who also turned around. He saw Johnny Cage fighting an odd-looking creature, nothing like the one he was fighting before though.

"Johnny Cage, fighting a giant monster?! What is this, Time Smashers?!"

The man suddenly teleported behind Johnny and charged at him, knocking the monster through the bridge and sending him into the water beneath.

Little did Stryker know that Kabal had caught up with him. A giant, fur-clad four-arm monster approached the two policemen and roared. They grabbed their guns and started to shoot at the creature, but it didn't affect the tiger.

The tiger laughed haughtily and blew a stream of fire at Kabal, who fell to the ground, writhing around in pain. His skin was charcoal coloured and had severe burn marks.

Stryker cringed. This would probably be the part where he would be burnt alive, like his partner. Looking at the creature, Stryker grit his teeth and loaded his shotgun.

"Humans…less ugly when they burn!" The creature said.

They fought. Though Kintaro had magic, Stryker's weapons were able to do more damage. The policeman was also quicker on foot. He defeated Kintaro in no time, and was proud of himself for being able to defeat the creature.

"Never knew I had it in me."

Stryker then pulled out his walkie-talkie and dialled Medivac, to inform them of what had happened to Kabal. As he was in the middle of this, mysterious green energy lifted him up and threw him into a subway.

"What the…"

The mysterious man approached him, and took a fighting stance.

"The Emperor will have your soul!"

Stryker's bravery kicked in. "Yeah? Come and get it!"

The mysterious man teleported behind Stryker, and attacked him with an uppercut. The policeman managed to regain his footing and throw a series of grenades at the man, who fell down from the impact of each bomb. Stryker then rolled towards him at incredible speed and threw him across the subway floor.

The man shot a green ball of energy at Stryker, who managed to dodge it by jumping. The policeman decided to quickly end things.

Tazering the man, Stryker took out his torch and shone it in the man's eyes, temporarily blinding him. With the man on his knees, the policeman hit his adversary on the head with it. He continued his assault with a blow to the face with his crowbar, and a taze in the neck, causing the man to fall to the ground, unconscious and twitching.

"I think I will be keeping my soul, asshole." Stryker kicked the fallen man in the head and laughed mockingly.

Suddenly, a man appeared on the stairs, facing Stryker. He had long hair, a tall muscular build, and butterfly markings on his face. He wore a brown shirt and blue jeans.

"I have been searching for you, Kurtis Stryker," he said.

Stryker was dumbfounded. This man somehow knew his name, and he had never even met or heard about him before. Loading his shotgun again, Stryker pointed it at him.

"Well you find me! Who are you!"

"I am Nightwolf. Lord Raiden is gathering some of Earthrealm's defenders. _You _are among them."

Stryker frowned. "Yeah, well, Earthrealm Defender is about 10 steps above my paygrade."

"I see you doubt yourself. Evenafter your victories. Come."

Stryker didn't have it in him to fight back anymore, and decided to join the Earthrealm heroes. Putting his gun away, he continued with Nightwolf to the streets.

Stryker saw that Kabal's body was not where he last saw it. He frowned. Kabal couldn't have gone to get help.

Somebody must have taken him.

**-DUN DUN DUN!**

**-I can't write fight scenes for shit. I'm sorry. **

**-This has probably been one of my favourite stories to write. I can't wait to finish this and continue on with the sequel!**


	9. Faltered Loyalty

_Earthrealm Streets_

The Outworld warriors had failed their mission to destroy everything in sight in Earthrealm. Raiden had stopped them in their tracks. The Thunder God had killed Motaro and knocked Tanya unconscious. Stryker defeated Kintaro, Tanya and Ermac.

Regrouping, the warriors decided to report back to Shao Kahn. All of them were worried about what Shao Kahn would do about their failure. Surely Shao Kahn would be able to use Sindel to finish off their dirty work, but the Emperor often did things that were unpredictable.

Tanya regained consciousness and found Motaro's body underneath the bridge. Using her magic, she pulled him to where her and her allies had regrouped.

"It's a shame you had to die like this, Motaro," Tanya said quietly. She had lost an ally, a valuable one at that. Nonetheless, Tanya was strong, and would not let such a thing get in her way.

Sheeva felt the slightest tinge of remorse over Motaro's death, despite her animosity towards him. The Shokan and Centaur races served Shao Kahn, and often competed for his favour. Shao Kahn toyed with the two races and often favoured the Centaur for no particular reason.

The Shokan silently condemned herself for feeling sorrow over Motaro's death. She did not let her feelings show, and instead kept a straight, emotionless face. Everybody else bowed over their fallen ally.

Using her sorcery to create a large tray to put Motaro's body on, Tanya and Baraka grabbed the Centaur and placed his body on it. They lifted the tray up and returned to Outworld through means of a portal.

They found themselves in Shao Kahn's Throneroom. The Emperor saw the warriors return, and immediately after seeing Motaro's dead body, he was angry. Pissed off. _Distraught_, even.

"WHAT IS THIS?!"

"Raiden has killed Motaro," Tanya boldly replied.

Sindel stepped forward, ready to be of some use. "It is no grave matter. _I _will go to Earthrealm, to finish Motaro's work."

The Emperor warmly smiled at her. "Yes…" Slightly inclining his head, he thought of a quick plan to strengthen Sindel so her mission would not fail. "Shang Tsung!"

The servant walked to his master. "Yes, Emperor?"

"The Empress requires something of you."

With his sorcery, the Emperor consumed Shang Tsung's souls. The sorcerer writhed around in pain as his souls were drained. His eyes became white and irisless, and he fell to the ground, dead.

Shao Kahn felt a surge of power as Shang Tsung's souls rested in his body. He felt sick, not being used to all this power. Nonetheless, he used his powers to give the souls to Sindel.

The former Edenian Queen screamed as she received the souls. She felt power surge through her, and had felt nothing like it before. Sindel liked this new power.

Using her newfound power to create a portal, Sindel used it to exit the Throneroom and go to Earthrealm.

_The Flesh Pits _

The newly revived body of Kabal had been revived by Shang Tsung on Kano's behalf. The Black Dragon thug wanted Kabal brought back so that he could bring his ally back into the Black Dragon. He knew it would be tricky, because Kabal probably had gotten used to police ways

Kano was tasked with equipping Kabal with his respiratory equipment. Because of Kintaro's burns, Kabal was heavily disfigured, and because of Shang Tsung being unable to heal his lungs, Kabal would be _forever _confined to life support.

After putting on his mask, Kano stood back and watched Kabal, hoping to notice some kind of life in his ally. The masked man groaned as he adjusted to his new body equipment. Kano smiled, and saw some light in his mission. _It looks as though it's going to work_, the Black Dragon thought.

"Kano?"

"In the flesh."

Feeling the burns on his skin, Kabal remembered what had happened to him. "I'm hideous."

"Shang Tsung's magic healed the rest of ya. But your lungs…urgh."

Kabal then realised he was wearing a mask. "Take it off."

"Can't."

"WHAT?!"

"No mask, no breathing."

"I'm…a freak."

Kabal then stood up to face Kano, who was holding two long swords with hooked blades and odd handles. The masked man suddenly remembered his days in the Black Dragon, holding those swords and using them to brutally kill innocent people.

"Remember these?" Kano asked. "Come on, give 'em a whirl."

Kabal glared at him, even though it wasn't exactly obvious because his eyes were hidden by his mask. "I don't use those anymore."

"Oh that's right, you're all proper police now," Kano shot back.

"You sold those monsters their firepower."

"Guilty as charged."

"_This _is YOUR FAULT!"

Kano angrily dropped the swords at the masked man's feet. "What do ya mean?! You're still alive, ain't ya?!"

"I SHOULD BE DEAD!" Kabal grabbed the hookswords, and was ready to annihilate Kano. "NOW YOU'RE GONNA BE!"

Kabal was amazed by his newfound speed in his fight with Kano. He was able to use his hookswords to cut at his enemy's chest and use his speed to connect harsh teleport uppercuts. Kano was unable to keep up. His knife throws and ball rolls were dodged and blocked, and he was defeated in no time.

Grabbing Kano by the back of the neck, Kabal lifted him up. "You have 10 seconds to tell me how to get out of here."

"No point. You can't leave Outworld without one of Shao Kahn's portals."

This was all new lingo to Kabal. "Outworld? Shao Kahn?"

"Shao Kahn's the big boss 'round here, and soon, Earth's new master…"

"I'll have to negotiate with 'em."

"No point. Ya can't get near 'em."

"No…but I'm guessing you can."

Kabal and Kano left the Flesh Pits and headed to Shao Kahn's Throneroom. Kabal was hoping to get out of Outworld and regroup with Stryker. He absoloutely hated Kano at this point.

"So that's him," Kabal observed as he saw the Emperor, sitting on his Throne.

"You're a right genius, you are! But your speed and skill are no match-"

Kano was cut off by a hit to the head with the hilt of a butterfly knife. "I can take him."

Kabal saw an active portal nearby and decided to use that. He could only hope that the portal would lead him to Earthrealm. It would be a risk he'd have to take.

The masked man decided to run towards it. Seeing what he was about to do, Shao Kahn ordered of Reiko to close the portal. The dark-skinned sorcerer was not fast enough in doing so, as Kabal had already left Outworld.

He ended up in Earthrealm, in the exact same spot he died in.

_Earthrealm Streets_

Sindel had recently arrived in Earthrealm, having been arrived there through means of teleportation. As she looked around and took in the nearly destroyed scenery around her, Sindel started to remember her Earthrealm allies. The glitching gave Sindel a small headache, making the Empress wince and clutch her forehead.

She wouldn't let a simple headache get in her way of killing the Earthrealm warriors. Composing herself, Sindel continued on her mission.

The Empress noticed the Lin Kuei cyborgs along the way. She figured that they must have been sent by Shao Kahn to accompany her on the mission. Sindel smirked in her mind, as she did not need assistance. Shang Tsung's souls had given her more than enough strength to defeat them singlehandedly.

Approaching the cyborgs, Sindel decided to interrogate them. "Did Shao Kahn send you here, Lin Kuei?"

"Indeed, Empress. He has sent us to accompany you on your mission."

"HA! I do not need _robots _to help me! My strength along is enough to defeat the warriors."

"Just because you're a woman, it does not mean we will not harm you."

"Try. I dare you."

The red Lin Kuei cyborg attempted to punch Sindel, only for him to break his arm and brutally kick him in the face.

"Go back to Outworld, or I will break the rest of you, Lin Kuei."

Sektor and the other Lin Kuei warriors returned to Outworld in fear for their lives. As she was left alone, Sindel began to feel like her former self. She did not know if she wanted to rebel against the Emperor or assist him.

Using her tracking abilities, Sindel found that the Earthrealm heroes had taken refuge in a Cathedral. She found herself fighting between what she should do. The Empress could not bring herself to harm her daughter, let alone her servant or her friends.

It was finally decided that she would join Earthrealm, but have her guard up. Sindel would have her guard ready in case she would be attacked.

**-I hated how everyone died in Mk9, so I am deciding to keep them alive. You'll see why in the sequel :D **

**-Sindel's a fierce bitch.**

**-Since it is a long weekend, I'll hopefully be able to get some more chapters in. **


	10. New Allies

_Shao Kahn's Throneroom _

The Lin Kuei had reported back to Outworld after their altercations with Sindel. The Emperor was furious that Sindel was not among them, and that they weren't exactly in one piece.

"What is this?! Where is Sindel?!" Shao Kahn bellowed upon their return.

"The Queen has become quite violent, Emperor," Sektor replied.

"How so?"

"I told her that we had been sent to accompany her. Sindel then laughed in our faces and attacked us. As you can see, she broke my arm."

There was a long silence. A scary one, at that.

"It seems she may have defected, Emperor," Tanya spoke.

Those words alone were enough to push Shao Kahn over the edge. The Emperor slammed his fist on the armrest of his Throne. The slam was so powerful that the room shook and all of the nearby warriors toppled over.

"**This is why I remind myself to NEVER be too dependant on my DUMBASS WARRIORS!" **The Emperor bellowed.

He got up and summoned his Wrath Hammer, and activated a portal.

"Reiko, you and Tanya must go to Earthrealm. Capture some soldiers and use their souls to create a Soulnado. I will need it to multiply my strength, so that I can destroy Raiden and his forces, and conquer Earthrealm," Shao Kahn ordered.

Tanya liked the idea very much. She was going to be alone…with Reiko. The dark-skinned woman had had a crush on her ally for quite some time, and she could now do something about it.

"Yes, Emperor," Reiko said. He too, was happy about this, for the same reasons as Tanya.

_The Streets_

Sindel had been walking in the Streets for quite some time now, and was feeling very tired and thirsty. She didn't want to stop along the way to grab a drink or have a rest, as the Queen would sense Shao Kahn's presence in Earthrealm.

She began to freak out upon sensing him, now that she had come to her senses. The Lin Kuei had probably told him about what she had done, and Sindel would probably be punished for this. Sindel did know how to fight, but Shao Kahn was an exceptionally powerful man, and probably wouldn't have stood a chance against him.

As she got to the Cathedral, Sindel noticed an unconscious man nearby. His skin was marred with burns, and he was heavily decorated with life support equipment, such as a gas tank and a mask that would help his breathing. She could not help but feel sorry for the man.

"Oh my God, what happened to you?" Sindel asked, her voice in a gentle tone. She gently shook the man in order to rouse him, and slowly but surely, it worked.

The man opened his eyes and blinked a few times before coming to. "Who…are you?"

The woman smiled. "My name is Sindel. I have come here to warn the Earthrealm people of Shao Kahn's invasion. Who might you be?" The Queen asked.

"Shao Kahn…that's the Emperor of Outworld, right? And as for my name…it's Kabal."

"What happened to you?"

"I was burnt alive, and brought back by sorcery. Though it healed the rest of me, the magic was unable to cure my lung problems. That is why I am heavily decorated with life insurance equipment…"

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

Sindel then stood up, and upon doing so, helped her new friend up. "The Cathedral is nearby. It is where we must go," she said.

"Why?"

"I must warn the Earthrealmers of Shao Kahn's plans, and we also need to join them in this coming battle. I will _not _forsake my friends to that _bastard_."

Kabal laughed at that. "Neither will I. I need to find somebody called Stryker. He is my friend, and I have not seen him since my rebirth."

"I do not know of a Stryker, but I do think he will be in the Cathedral with our friends."

No words were passed between them as they walked to the Cathedral. Opening the door, they saw all of the Earthrealm warriors standing around the altar. Skarlet, Kitana, Jade, Nightwolf, Stryker, Raiden, Liu Kang, Kung Lao, Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Sonya, Jax, Cyrax and Johnny Cage.

_My suspicions have now been confirmed_, Sindel said to herself. Her and Kabal walked towards their allies. The Queen knew that she would have some explaining to do, and that she would have to put her guard up.

"How do we know? Raiden could be having visions of possible futures, not _the _future," Sonya spoke up.

"Sonya's right. The future is still in peril _even after _our victories, which is the solution Raiden originally sought," Jax spoke up, proving his partners point.

Kitana was annoyed with everybodies' negativity. "This isn't helpful. We can't constantly second guess our decisions. Raiden, what are your thoughts?"

No answer.

"Raiden?"

Coming to his senses, he half-heartedly replied. "Yes, that is best."

The warriors suddenly heard nearby footsteps, which belonged to none other than Sindel and Kabal. Kitana was shocked to see her mother alive, as were the other warriors who knew of her death.

"Mother…" the Princess rasped.

"Kitana…" she replied.

"How are you still alive?"

"Shao Kahn has resurrected me….."

Everyone's ears perked up at that, and they immediately took their fighting stances.

"…but he was stupid enough to use magic that could not ensnare me to his will for long enough. I am fighting for Earthrealm, so do not fear. I do not have ties with any enforcer of Shao Kahn, so there is no funny stuff. I promise you."

Everyone's arms dropped to their sides. "It is good to see you, Sindel. Who is this man beside you?" Raiden asked.

"My name is Kabal," he interrupted.

Stryker's ears perked up upon hearing his name. He turned to face his friend, and got the shock of his life when he saw what had become of him. He knew that Kabal would never be the man he once knew, but that didn't matter to him. Stryker was relieved that his friend was alive.

"Shao Kahn plans to invade Earthrealm as we speak. Reiko has deceived him into thinking that the Elder Gods will do nothing," Sindel informed them. "He has also tasked Reiko and Tanya to create a Soulnado to multiply his strength," she continued.

"Well, we now know what we must do," Raiden said. "The battle with Shao Kahn is mine and only mine. I will have to send some of you to stop Reiko and Tanya in their tracks."

The Thunder God had a sudden vision of Kano, Goro and Kintaro kidnapping several soldiers at St Domenic's Tower, and Reiko and Tanya using another group of soldiers to create the Soulnado at the Graveyard.

"I must go to the Graveyard. I have a score with Reiko I must settle once and for all," Scorpion said. Though he was now human, his powers of fire remained, and he was as capable in fighting as he was before.

"I will go to the Clocktower. I have a grudge with Kano I must settle," Kitana said. The Black Dragon had made several advances at the Princess during her time as an assassin for Kahn. She would now use this chance to kill him.

Sonya smirked at this, and wished she could have joined Kitana. Raiden nodded at both warriors. "Very well. Leave on your quest. I fear it will only be a matter of time before the Soulnado is complete."

The two warriors teleported to their respective locations with the intent of eliminating their rivals once and for all…

**-Sindel and Kabal will NOT be a pairing. What do you think this is?!  
-I seriously think Shao Kahn has some anger issues.**

**-I will NOT have the Earthrealm warriors be resurrected as Reiko's servants. No. I hated that in Mk9 so I will not be having it here. End of story.**


	11. The Soulnado

_Outworld_

The Lin Kuei were determined to redeem themselves after their previous failure. They knew they would eventually run into Sindel once again, but they weren't very worried about that. The most of their worries would be failing Kahn once more.

Teleporting to Earthrealm through a portal, the Lin Kuei used their tracking abilities to locate the Earthrealmers.

"What should we do, since Kitana and Scorpion have gone to deal with what's coming?" Sonya pondered. The military woman was bored. She was almost always tasked with something to do, and it felt _miserable _that there was nothing to do now.

"We must wait for them to return, Sonya. Until then, there is nothing we can do," Raiden told her. He quietly said a prayer to the Elder Gods that they would be safe.

Things had been turning out much better than Raiden imagined. So far, nothing had gone wrong. Sub-Zero was spared from death and automation, as was Smoke, Cyrax, Kitana, Jade, Skarlet, and Sindel had defected, they had been gaining new warriors along the way, and had been winning the tournaments.

Things were finally looking up for Earthrealm.

The boredom was finally lost as Cyrax felt a familiar presence surround them. "Wait…"

All eyes were on him now.

"…the Lin Kuei…they surround us!"

Several grey cyborgs materialized around the Cathedral, and among them was Sektor. _THIS was going to be fun, _Cyrax thought.

Raiden's forces and Sektor's forces clashed with eachother. Sektor and Cyrax charged at eachother with the intent to kill. Cyrax had come to his senses upon being repogrammed and remembered that Sektor had automated him. It was his 'ally' that did this to him. Now he was going to make him pay.

Sektor did his infamous teleport uppercut, which Cyrax blocked and countered with an uppercut. The yellow cyborg threw several bombs at Sektor, sending him into the air. He continued his onslaught with a spinning roundhouse kick and an anti-air throw.

Sektor regained his footing and shot missiles at Cyrax, who toppled over. He performed a teleport uppercut, and while his opponent was still in midair, he shot a missile at him and performed another uppercut. Charging his fist with energy, Sektor delivered a brutal palm strike to his opponent's back.

Cyrax soon regained his footing and threw a series of bombs at his enemy, each of them sending him further into the air. Shooting another bomb from his chest, Cyrax teleported into midair and kicked his enemy in the back. He then performed an inverted German Suplex, knocking Sektor into a state of near unconsciousness.

"Time for the _grand finale_…"

Cyrax roughly helped Sektor up, and summoned his buzzsaw. Turning the cyborg to face him, Cyrax vertically slashed at Sektor's chest two times in a row, and brutally kicked him, causing Sektor's dissected torso to fall to pieces on the ground.

By this time, every other Earthrealm warrior had defeated the Lin Kuei warriors. It was no effort, as they were much more powerful than the cyborgs.

The warriors regrouped. Everybody saw Sektor's remains on the ground. Cyrax noticed this and beamed at them.

"Is that…what I think it is?" Johnny asked, slightly smiling.

"Yep. Do you like my artwork?" Cyrax proudly responded. Nothing made him happier than seeing that bastard in distress. Killing Sektor was something on his bucketlist. He had plotted doing such for a while.

"I'm glad that bastard isn't with us anymore," Bi-Han said to Cyrax, nodding in approval.

_The Clock Tower_

Kitana saw from the shadows that there were soldiers being held captive by Kano, Goro and Kintaro. She immediately remembered what it was for, and decided to act. It would only be a matter of time for the spell would be complete, and Earthrealm would then deplete.

Emerging from her hiding place, Kitana pretended as though she was Mileena. Putting on the best imitation of Mileena's voice that she could, Kitana headed towards them.

"Hello boys," 'Mileena' said. Kitana pulled it off perfectly; her voice, her sultriness, her behaviour.

But there was only one problem.

_Mileena was dead. _

What would Kitana be able to say to that?

She quickly thought of a response to that, even though it probably wasn't the best.

"Mileena? Didn't you…die? Why do you look…different?" Kintaro asked.

'Mileena' smirked. "Tanya and Reiko found me, and I was resurrected. Tanya put a spell on me that would make me look much more like Kitana. I eventually found the Princess and killed her, and then donned her uniform."

"I see. Well, it's good ta have ya with us," Kano said. Kitana immediately remembered her vendetta towards him.

_I'll have to act now, or I'll never do it._

"Come on, we gotta get 'em to St Dominics," he continued.

"For what purpose?" Kitana asked, playing dumb.

"Don't care really. So long as I get payed."

Kitana then stood there, doing nothing. She did not even do anything as Goro, Kintaro and Kano yelled at the soldiers to get up. She waited until they were distracted in doing so.

That moment was now.

_The Graveyard_

Using the soldiers they had kidnapped, Tanya and Reiko used their combined sorcery to create the Soulnado. Tanya could feel herself acting up around Reiko, as she found it hard to keep her focus on the mission when her crush was working with her. Reiko was struggling to, but he somehow managed to tame his urges.

Scorpion was watching them, and could sense the sexual frustration between the two. He laughed at them for being such idiots about their feelings for eachother. He wished that they would have _some _kind of moment with eachother so that he could rescue the soldiers, kill both Reiko and Tanya, and report back to Raiden.

That moment was now.

Tanya, unable to control her desires any longer, pressed her hand firmly against Reiko's crotch. The Outworld sorcerer gasped in pleasure and surprise. His walls of resistance immediately broke down and he pressed his lips to Tanya's, and buried himself in her soft, delectable lips.

As the kiss ensued, Scorpion used that as his moment. Using his stealth skills, Scorpion used his fires to burn the chains that confined the soldiers and told them to run away. The soldiers immediately bolted, and his cover was then blown.

It was no matter. He had already completed half of his mission.

Reiko pulled away from Tanya and noticed that _Scorpion _was the one who had set the soldiers free. He would make the ninja pay for stopping them in their tracks. Reiko knew that Scorpion was a powerful warrior, but he had magic. Magic was a very powerful thing.

Though Scorpion was not the person Reiko knew him as, the Outworld native recognised him from his distinct yellow ninja attire. During their time as a servant of Quan Chi, they never got along, and now, as enforcers for different people, their animosity lived on.

"_Scorpion_…" Reiko hissed.

"You!" The ninja growled.

Tanya attempted to get in the way, but Scorpion roughly pushed her aside. The dark-skinned female ended up hitting her head on a tombstone, knocking her unconscious.

"It seems we have a score to settle," the Outworlder spoke.

"Indeed. I've hated you since our times as enforcers for Quan Chi," Scorpion replied. "Don't think I've taken any liking towards you."

"Heh. I didn't even start thinking that."

"Good. Because after this, I'm sure you're going to hate me."

Scorpion acted on his words and teleported behind Reiko, attacking his enemy with a savage uppercut. He followed up wit two more teleport uppercuts and a flaming backflip kick.

Reiko regained his footing and threw a series of shurikens at the ninja, who cried out upon being struck. He continued his assault with a shoulder charge and a teleport slam. Scorpion landed on his neck in a painful position. It would have killed him if he was a lesser man.

Scorpion stood up and continued his teleport uppercut chain. He then unleashed his spear, which impaled Reiko in the chest and brought the Outworld native closer to the ninja. Scorpion, teleporting behind the Outworld native and punching him in the ear, made his enemy topple over from the force. He then stepped on his chest, causing Reiko to cough up blood.

Scorpion decided he would have to end things, once and for all. He roughly grabbed Reiko and pulled him to his feet. Firmly wrapping his hand around Reiko's neck, Scorpion tugged twice, and by the third time, Scorpion had pulled out Reiko's spine along with his head. His vendetta fulfilled, Scorpion threw the remains to the ground and spat on them, and teleported back to Earthrealm.

_The Clock Tower_

With her enemies distracted, Kitana used her fans to cut up the chains that confined the warriors, who ran away. "Go, all of you! You are not safe!"

Kano, Goro, and Kintaro were glaring daggers at her now. "Oi! What are you-" Kano was cut off by Kitana, who knocked him unconscious by hitting him in the head with the hilt of her fans.

Goro and Kintaro approached her. "YOUR TREACHERY WILL BE PUNISHED!" The tiger Shokan roared.

Kitana charged at her adversaries with her fans. She threw them at their chests, cutting at their stomachs. She launched herself at them with a series of kicks, toppling them over. The Princess was too fast for the Shokans, and before long, she had come out on top.

"All those teeth and claws, yet still outmatched," Kitana mocked. Having freed the warriors and completed her mission, Kitana decided to report back to Earthrealm.

However, something stopped her in her tracks.

Green, telekinetic energy surrounded the soldiers and threw them at Kitana. _Ermac, _she thought. _Oh shit._

The Princess decided that she would use force to ensure her safety and the safety of the warriors. If she could take on two Shokans and win, she could easily defeat Ermac.

"Come no further, fiend of Outworld!" The Princess hissed before taking her stance.

It was not long before Kitana had defeated Ermac, who lay unconscious on the ground. Noticing this, she decided to report back to Earthrealm. Inclining her head to the soldiers, Kitana said her goodbye.

"Go. Now, before they wake up!"

The warriors left in a hurry, not wanting to be harmed once again. With her mission complete, Kitana decided to report back to Earthrealm.

**-I think I'm getting better at writing fight scenes.**

**-The Reiko x Tanya pairing will be further elaborated in the sequel.**


	12. The Merger

_The Cathedral_

Scorpion and Kitana had reported back to Raiden. The warriors stopped the Outworld villains just in time before the Soulnado could have even been made.

The Earthrealm heroes were glad that their allies were in one piece upon their return.

"Kitana!" Jade happily called out to her friend. "Scorpion!" Bi-Han greeted, smiling warmly. The yellow ninja and the Princess approached their allies. "Earthrealm's souls are safe. We managed to stop them before the Soulnado could even be made," Hanzo informed them.

Raiden suddenly thought that stopping the Soulnado could be the solution necessary. Checking his amulet, he saw that it only cracked further. "No….HOW IS IT NOT ENOUGH?!" The Thunder God roared.

Sindel suddenly had a vision of Shao Kahn entering Earthrealm, frightening her. _He _was here. A distraught look appeared on her face.

"Mother, what is wrong?"

"Shao Kahn. He is here…invading Earthrealm as we speak. His magic merges Earthrealm with Outworld as he is here. I believe defeating Shao Kahn is what must be done," the Queen spoke.

Raiden sighed and shook his head, disappointed. He put his amulet away and looked down. "I must speak with the Elder Gods about this. Shao Kahn's violation must be punished."

"But Master, Sindel has told us what we need to do. Why must we need the Elder God's help?" Liu Kang asked.

"You are right, Liu Kang. But there is something missing. We must speak to them in order to find out more."

The Monk sighed before reluctantly going with Raiden to Heaven to see the Elder Gods.

_Earthrealm Streets _

Shao Kahn had arrived in Earthrealm. Anger and lust for power clouded his minds. Reiko's deception had clearly fooled him into thinking that the Elder Gods would do nothing. But little did the Emperor know that Reiko had lied to him. The Emperor's rage did not allow him to see through the lies of his ally.

The Emperor didn't even think that what Reiko said was a lie.

He headed to the Graveyard to check up on Reiko and Tanya. As Shao Kahn got there, he noticed the headless body of Reiko and the _still _unconscious body of Tanya.

"**AAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHH**!"Shao Kahn roared, knowing this was the doing of the Earthrealm warriors. Nonethless, he continued on his mission to conquer Earthrealm and defeat the warriors by force, and take their lives.

The merging was coming together, though. Remnants of his throneroom were appearing on the Rooftop. His throne was there, and so was a portal nearby. _Perfect._

_Heaven _

"Elder Gods, I beseech you!" Raiden cried out.

The deities appeared before him and Liu Kang. "Shao Kahn invades Earthrealm as we speak!"

"**We are aware of your plight, Raiden. But it is the merger that is prescribed. Invasion itself is not a direct penalty."**

"A distinction without a difference! Please, can't you intervene on Earthrealm's behalf?"

"**Unfortunately, no. We cannot interfere in mortal affairs unless a violation of Mortal Kombat rules occurs."**

"Please…you must-"

"**We have spoken."** The deities said before disappearing.

Liu Kang turned to face Raiden, "The last doors are closing. We are nearly trapped."

_The Cathedral_

Everybody was waiting patiently for Raiden and Liu Kang to return. The warriors were bored out of their minds, as there was absolutely nothing to do. They were smart enough to know that they couldn't take on Shao Kahn; for obvious reasons, and they didn't want to miss the starting gun.

Raiden and Liu Kang returned to the church, to find the Earthrealm warriors painfully bored. Raiden turned to the white-haired woman, "You were right, Sindel. We must fight Shao Kahn before he manages to merge Earthrealm with Outworld."

Liu Kang's face hardened. _I fucking told you she was right._ Sighing inwardly, he wished Raiden would sometimes listen to him. But he was glad that Raiden had come to his senses. _Finally_.

"Then that is what we must do. We must all fight against Shao Kahn. Our efforts combined will defeat the Emperor," Sindel replied. "It is a risk we must take."

Raiden looked at the other warriors, who nodded. "Sindel is right. We all put our best effort in to defeat Shao Kahn and save Earthrealm. This realm has become a home to me, and I'm not going to lose my home to Shao Kahn," Skarlet said bravely.

Everybody, even Skarlet, was shocked by her words. The hemomancer had come a long way since her days as a brutal killer for Shao Kahn. Kitana and Jade especially noticed this, as they all worked together.

"The Rooftop. That is where we must go," the Thunder God spoke.

Everybody teleported there, and they could see a Portal with Shao Kahn's reflection.

The merging was almost complete.

**-Well, shit.**

**-How will Raiden and the Earthrealm warriors defeat Shao Kahn? Will they? I don't know, and neither do you. So keep reading to find out! :P**


	13. The Fall of Shao Kahn

_The Rooftop_

The Earthrealm warriors were horrified that Shao Kahn's mission was almost complete. He had _nearly merged _Earthrealm with Outworld. However, they weren't going to give up easily. Shao Kahn would have another thing coming if he thought it would be _that _easy.

As soon as Shao Kahn stepped forth from the portal, everybody charged at him as though it was on cue. Jade threw her razorang at the Emperor, slashing at his chest and back. He stumbled forward but did not fall on the ground. He simply laughed at Jade's pathetic attack.

"You think that that'll take me down? You've got another thing coming," the Emperor boasted.

Determined to take the Emperor down, Jade continued her assault. Striking him with her staff, Jade then attacked with an overhead slam of her bo, and then with an upward swipe. Kitana joined in and threw her fans at the Emperor, cutting at his shoulders.

Teleporting behind Shao Kahn, she caught her fans and stabbed the Emperor in the back of the head, causing him to lean towards the ground. She then teleported in front of him and stabbed him in the eyes.

Regaining his footing, Shao Kahn retaliated and knocked the two kunoichis over with two very powerful shoulder charges. He then attacked with his hammer, hitting them with upward and downward hits.

Skarlet would not let her friends do the dancing on their own. Teleporting behind Shao Kahn, the red assassin stabbed Shao Kahn in the shoulders with her swords, digging them into his flesh. The Emperor writhed in pain as he fell to the ground. Skarlet then flipped forward and struck him in the face with the palm of her hand, and did a reverse round house kick, impaling him in the eyes.

With Shao Kahn weakened, everybody decided to put effort into killing him. Sindel used her banshee scream to daze the Emperor, and Liu Kang and Kung Lao performed a series of tag-team combos, which Smoke, Bi-Han, Cyrax and Hanzo continued on from. Sonya, Jax, Johnny Cage, Stryker, Nightwolf and Kabal continued the onslaught, with Raiden finishing the Emperor off.

Sending three lightning bolts to strike Shao Kahn, Raiden then shot a blast of lightning at him. Teleporting behind Shao Kahn, the Thunder God delivered a brutal elbow to his back. Teleporting in front of Shao Kahn, Raiden delivered a karate chop to his held, making the Emperor groan in pain. He then attacked Shao Kahn with a blast of electricity, sending the Emperor back a few metres.

Out of nowhere, several golden dragons came to attack Shao Kahn. Their voices were similar to that of the Elder Gods.

"**You have violated our rules, Shao Kahn. You merge realms without Mortal Kombat. Our penalty is clear,"** the voices spoke.The creatures then started eating at Shao Kahn's flesh, their bites powerful enough to dig into his flesh. Shortly afterward, they took Shao Kahn up to the Heavens.

A large explosion could be heard, and the Earthrealm skies changed from black to blue. The destructions were mended, and everything was perfect once more. It was as if the invasion never took place.

The Earthrealm warriors regrouped, happy with their success. "Shao Kahn's destruction was the solution I needed to prevent Armageddon. Liu Kang, I…" Raiden began.

"It's fine, Master. I am too," the Monk replied, smiling.

"I am happy that Earthrealm is safe, and that we are, too," Kitana remarked. She smiled at Hanzo and held his hand, her fingers wrapping tightly around his. The ninja returned the gesture and smiled warmly at her.

As the Earthrealm warriors returned to their lives, not everything was peaceful.

Tanya and Shinnok soon appeared on the rooftop, after the Earthrealm warriors left. The woman picked up Shao Kahn' helmet, and laughed.

"Your plan worked to perfection, Lord Shinnok," Tanya spoke.

"Shao Kahn was blinded by rage. He believed that the Elder Gods would not punish the merging of the realms," the Fallen Elder God told her.

"Though the Thunder God and his allies still live."

"No matter. Soon, I will be free. Neither Earthrealm or Outworld can withstand the Netherrealm's onslaught."

**-That fight scene was horrible. I know.**

**-No, this is not the last chapter of the story.**

**-The next few chapters will be focusing on Skarlet/Smoke, Jade/SubZero, Scorpion/Kitana, and Reiko/Tanya.**

**-There will be lemons. You have been warned.**


	14. Formation

_Netherrealm_

Reiko's soul had been absorbed by Shinnok, who had placed it in an amulet through sorcery. The Fallen Elder God was going to use a resurrection spell to bring the Outworld sorcerer back to life.

Tanya and Shinnok had gone to the Netherrealm to complete the ritual. This way, Reiko could become easier to control, and the evil in his heart would grow. His magic would also become much more powerful.

Placing the amulet in his hand, Shinnok began to mutter a mystical incantation. As he spoke, the skeleton of Reiko rose from the ground, and from it, flesh started to grow on it, and soon, it formed Reiko.

He did not look very different from before, except for his red eyes and bruised skin. His appearance was not entirely zombie-like, compared to other wraith creatures that resided in the Netherrealm. Tanya was so happy to see him; the woman was sill in love with her ally.

"Reiko…" Shinnok spoke.

"Lord Shinnok…" the resurrected sorcerer spoke.

"How do you feel?"

"Fine, I suppose. Angry above all, however."

Tanya then turned to Lord Shinnok, hoping for a moment of privacy with Reiko. "Leave us. I have a preposition to make with Reiko."

If Shinnok and Tanya weren't on good terms, she would have gotten a beating. But this was an exception. They were both on the Forces of Darkness.

The Fallen Elder God teleported away to someplace unknown, leaving the lovers to talk privately. Tanya lovingly grabbed Reiko, his face in her hands.

"Do you remember me, Reiko?" Tanya said in a husky voice.

"Yes, I do," the sorcerer replied. "What is it that you want to speak with me about?"

"We should join forces, Reiko. I have read in my own time that there is a prophecy involving the Dragon King's undefeatable army. If we can resurrect them, we can rule the worlds, just us. Nobody else can stop us."

Reiko looked at her, a grin on his face. "That sounds perfect. Though how do we know something won't go wrong? And what do I get in return for this?"

"Nothing will stop us, sweetie. The Earthrealm and Outworld warriors will be defenceless. And as for your reward…"

Tanya opened up her dress slightly, giving Reiko access to her body. "…All you have to is reach down my dress."

Reiko liked that idea very much. The Outworld sorcerer had been fantasizing about screwing Tanya for ages now. It would finally become a reality. Snaking his hand down her dress, the dark skinned man slipped his hand into her undergarments and touched her body. The soft, wet folds immediately captivated Reiko and he firmly pressed his lips to hers, and got his tongue involved, Tanya following suit. The Edenian aggressively ripped off his shirt and slipped her hands into his pants, fondling Reiko's length. The Outworlder moaned into her mouth as she touched him.

Before they could continue their act, Tanya took her lover to her bedroom, where they could continue their lusty dialogue without interruption.

Tanya decided to take things up a notch and take off Reiko's pants and undergarments, his throbbing cock springing free. The man let out a low growl when she caressed his shaft and ran her tongue on the underside of it. She decided to take matters into her own hands and take her lover in her mouth.

Reiko let out a long and loving moan when he felt his member in Tanya's mouth. The warmth of her mouth was what made it most enjoyable. The Outworld male pounded roughly in and out of her mouth as she blew him, and before long, released his seeds into her mouth.

Tanya swallowed his juices greedily. Up until then, she would never have thought a man's love juices would be so appetising. The Edenian woman suspected Reiko to be tasty, so it wasn't that much of a surprise.

The Outworlder firmly pressed his lips to Tanya's, and could taste himself on her lips. On her tongue was the taste of his essence. He reached down and took off her dress and undergarments as the kiss ensued, and Tanya's beautiful body came into view. Reiko liked what he saw. Oh, he did.

Immediately, the Outworld sorcerer pressed his lips to her skin. Reiko started from her neck and decided that he would work his way down from there. Tanya's flesh was extremely sweet, and it was appealing to Reiko. There was not a spot that he missed; Reiko licked, nipped, and sucked at every bit of her flesh.

When he came to her breasts, Reiko placed his mouth on the bosom and flickered his tongue over it. He continued his combination of ministration on her flesh; nipping, licking, and sucking. He did not forget about the other breast, which he gave equal attention.

Reiko soon buried himself in her legs and indulged in her flesh. The man ran his tongue along her sweet folds, and loved how she tasted. It was the most incredible honey he'd ever tasted, and Reiko loved how he was in business in her. Tanya would definitely make a good playmate.

"Ah, Gods Reiko!" The Edenian moaned. Her cries of ecstasy continued and motivated Reiko further to continue his ministrations. But Reiko didn't have to be told to keep going. Once he had started eating her out, the Outworld male wasn't sure that he'd want to stop again. Tanya was so wet now that Reiko definitely didn't want to stop. He wanted to make sure that there would be more of these playtimes, so the Outworld male would put in his best performance. Reiko was already great in bed, but Tanya had high standards.

The Outworld male thrust his fingers into Tanya and began to finger her as he ate her out. The Edenian came several times and her entire body quivered in ecstasy as she screamed out in pleasure from her orgasm. Reiko was glad that he'd pleasured her.

It was now time to fuck her. Reiko placed her on the bed and guided himself into her folds. The warmth of her body made the Outworld male moan out in ecstasy, as it did Tanya. Reiko began to thrust relentlessly in and out of her and the moans of ecstasy the lovers made turned into screams. Reiko felt Tanya's walls clamp around him like a vice and the tightness made him ejaculate ropes of sperm into her entrance. The Edenian traitor soon orgasmed once more.

The Deadly Alliance lay in the bed, worn out from their playtime.


	15. The Whole 9 Yards

**-This is the Scorpion/Kitana scene.**

**-You have been warned. This story is rated M for a reason.**

**-Enjoy! ;)**

****_Edenian Palace – Kitana's Chamber._

Since Shao Kahn's demise, Kitana and Scorpion had started dating. The couple had been going strong for quite some time. Their love was very special to both of them.

It felt as though this relationship was meant to be, and that it was worth waiting for. Scorpion had fought off several urges to ask Kitana out during the tournament, but his conscience told him that now wasn't the time.

Kitana felt the same. Her feelings for Scorpion started when he freed her. Aside from that, the ninja intrigued her. His quiet nature, his reasonable actions, his kindness. Most men spoke out of turn a lot and did a lot of rude and unreasonable. But Scorpion wasn't like that. And Kitana was thankful for that. It was what made her love him even more.

For Scorpion, it would be what some called 'love at first sight.' It was as though the Princess' beauty was the one thing that drew Scorpion in almost immediately. But above that, he liked her personality. Her kindness. Her ability to reason. Her optimism.

She didn't really care for how she looked. But she didn't need to. Kitana always looked flawless. Most women complained about their weight, their hair, their makeup, or their look in general. But Kitana was not one to do that, which was something Scorpion liked about her.

The couple lay in bed. It was about 10:00 at night. Everybody was asleep, and so they decided to have some fun. Dirty fun. Kinky fun. Erotic fun.

Kitana inclined her head and looked at Scorpion, her brown eyes looking lovingly into Scorpion's blue orbs. Her hand reached to his chest, and travelled down to his regions. Scorpion gasped as he was touched.

"Say, Scorpion, have you ever had sex before?"

Kitana was oblivious to his former life as a member of the Shirai Ryu. She did not know he had a son and a wife.

"Yes, Kitana. Why?"

"Well, I uhm…I haven't. I've always wanted to know how it feels. My other Edenian friends have had sex, and they said it feels great."

Scorpion smiled warmly at her. "I take it you want me to give you the whole nine yards?"

The Princess giggled at Scorpion's words, and gave him a passionfilled kiss. As their lips battled, Kitana continued to play with Scorpion's erection, her hands taking off his pants. Scorpion moaned into her mouth and she straddled herself on him. The ninja took off her skirt and boots, and threw them on the ground.

Scorpion pressed his lips against Kitana's neck and did not miss a spot of her body from her neck to her breasts and finally to that sweet spot inbetween her legs. The Edenian Princess' flesh tasted very sweet and it was addicting to the once-hellspawn. Scorpion nipped, licked and sucked at the skin of the beautiful woman before him. She was his Princess.

The demon soon reached her navel and jammed his fingers in the sweet spot. Kitana squealed in ecstasy as she felt the fingers jam in and out of her repeatedly. Hanzo continued his ministrations but soon changed things up. Scorpion shoved his head inbetween the Princess' legs and used her tongue to push his love over the edge.

Kitana's vision soon became a blur as she was pleasured by Scorpion. The once-demon became her world as his tongue swirled around her slick, wet folds and brought her to orgasm. Scorpion devoured her sweet juices and the Princess felt indebted to him for making her feel this good. She wanted to do the same to him but wasn't sure how. Kitana was a virgin despite how many people objected to it.

The Princess regained her vision and placed her legs on his thighs. Kitana gave Scorpion a sultry smile before placing her lips to his. As the kiss ensued, the brown-haired woman could taste her juices on his tongue. Their red appendages wrestled, a contest with Scorpion won.

The Princess placed her head inbetween the once-demon's legs and her hands snaked the length of Scorpion's member. It was now Scorpion who's breath hitched, as his lover payed attention to his member. Kitana licked the shaft and the head, tasting Hanzo.

It surprisingly tasted nice. Kitana continued her ministrations until Scorpion pulled himself out of her mouth and thrust his length inbetween her breasts. He then entered Kitana and pounded his length in and out of her without mercy. The Edenian Princess' body rocked in ecstasy as she was pleasured by her man.

Kitana then lowered her lover's face to her breasts – Scorpion didn't have to be told what to do. There was not a spot that Hanzo missed on the Edenian woman's breasts. They were so soft and tasty to the point that Scorpion could not bring himself to leave them. But eventually, the pleasure became too much for Kitana and she asked him to stop doing what he was doing, much to Hanzo's dismay.

"That was fun, Scorpion. I'm sorry you had to stop."

"It's fine, baby girl. I expected that – you're a virgin."

"I love you, Scorpion." The Edenian Princess kissed her lover.

"I love you too, Kitana."

**-Aww, wasn't that sweet!**

**-That was probably the only lemon I've written so far that actually spoke about the thoughts of both characters.**

**-One down, two to go!**


	16. Reunion

**-This chapter is of Sub-Zero/Jade.**

**-Graphic scenes await. You have been warned.**

**-Enjoy! ;)**

_Edenian Palace – Jade's Chamber_

Sub-Zero and Jade had finally confessed their feelings to eachother after the events of the invasion, and had since started dating. Both were happy with eachother. Very happy.

Their sex life was spectacular. Sub-Zero had never met a woman with such sexual stamina. But then again, Jade was an Edenian, so it was to be expected.

The night before, they had had sex. It was fantastic. Magical. Kinky. Weird, even. But above all, it was one of the best sex sessions Bi-Han had had. Most women didn't have as much stamina as Bi-Han did, so sex wasn't as much fun as it was with Jade.

The couple woke up at 1:00 in the afternoon. Their 'playtime' had lasted quite some time, and both of them were needing of a long sleep. None of them had ever slept in this long. Sub-Zero was always up at 4:30 am, as was Jade.

"Good morning, handsome," Jade greeted.

Bi-Han yawned as he rubbed his eyes and stretched. "Good morning, beautiful. How do you feel after last night?"

"Even better," Jade said with a wink. She kissed her lover on the lips. Bi-Han kissed back with equal passion. His ice-cold hands gripped her lovely butt. The sensation of her warm butt combined with Sub-Zero's cold hands was amazing. Jade winced in pleasure from the feeling.

Sub-Zero pulled away, remembering that he had plans with his younger brother, Kuai Liang. The brothers had not seen eachother for a long time. Bi-Han had missed his brother dearly, as had the other.

"I'm sorry, Jade. But we have things to do. I wish we could continue."

"As do I, Bi-Han."

The assassin grabbed his clothes and headed to the shower. Jade, who wanted more playtime with her lover, watched him as he bathed. Bi-Han never locked the door, because nobody else he and Jade were in there. The green-clad kunoichi didn't allow lots of people in her chamber, besides other royalty members and her friends.

As Jade's eyes raked over Sub-Zero's naked, lean figure, arousal rippled through her body to the point where she started touching herself. Her fingers inserted into her flesh, Jade began to quietly moan as she pleased herself.

Sub-Zero could hear Jade as the Edenian touched herself. Her masturbation aroused him greatly. He was going to do something about it, and in doing so, continue from where they had left off last night.

"Jade," Bi-Han called out, his voice husky.

The Edenian's fingers left her navel and her hands dropped to her sides. She wondered how long he was watching her for.

"Come here," he ground out.

Jade wearily approached her lover, and got into the shower with him. He turned her back to him and his hands already started travelling to her navel.

"What are you doing?" The Edenian whimpered.

"You'll see," was Bi-Han's soft spoken command. "Open your legs for me," he whispered in her ear.

Jade did as she was told, and could feel Bi-Han's fingers grinding into her navel, all of his digits pleasing her. She moaned in ecstasy as Bi-Han pleased her. The wetness of Jade's pussy flowed onto his fingers. He could smell her sweet scent, arousing him further.

"Faster…"

Bi-Han sensed she was about to come. Roughly turning her over, he stuck his face inbetween her legs and used his head to finish what he started with his fingers. Jade's moaning got louder as she came, her juices being lapped up by Bi-Han.

When she opened her eyes, she saw that Bi-Han was standing on the other side of the shower, masturbating to Jade's naked figure. Approaching her lover, Jade wrapped her hand on his cold organ.

"Don't touch yourself baby, that's my job."

She immediately took him in her mouth, bobbing her head up and down. She ran her tongue along the shaft and the head. Taking him out of her mouth, Jade sandwiched his cock inbetween her breast. Bi-Han lifted her up and immediately began fucking her breasts.

He soon pulled out and entered her tight navel, both of them moaning in ecstasy. Bi-Han feasted on Jade's neck and breasts, sucking on them and raining soft, cold kisses.

Bi-Han was quite rough, as he knew Jade liked hard sex. Jade also liked that Bi-Han was able to give her great sex and was always able to meet her needs.

Both of them soon climaxed, and got out of the shower.

"What a great breakfast that was," the Cryomancer said.

"Agreed," the Edenian replied.

_Tundra's Apartment_

Bi-Han got dressed after his playtime with Jade and immediately headed to his brother's house. He was very happy to see Kuai Liang. The two brothers had not seen eachother since Bi-Han left the clan during the tournament. Kuai Liang had left aswell, and was currently staying by himself.

The older Cryomancer was dressed in a black trench coat, blue jeans, a long-sleeved black shirt, and black point shoes. Kuai Liang was still in his pyjamas; black pants and a grey long-sleeved shirt.

Hearing the doorbell ring, Kuai Liang opened up to see Bi-Han. A huge smile was on his face as he saw his brother. His idol. His once mentor.

"Hello, Kuai Liang. Long time no see," Bi-Han greeted, a smile on his face.

"Hello Bi-Han. Indeed it has been. How has life been treating you?" the younger Cryomancer asked.

"Good; very, in fact," Bi-Han said as he sat down on the couch and turned on the TV. Kuai Liang laughed and boiled the kettle to make some coffee.

"Do you still work for the Lin Kuei?"

"Pfft. No. That ship came and went. I live here now, with Jade and the royals. Smoke and Scorpion also live with me."

Kuai Liang's ears perked up upon hearing Smoke's name. "Tomas?! How is he?"

"Perfect, in fact. He's dating a girl named Skarlet. She's a lovely young woman. Very quiet, though, but funny once she opens up."

"I see. Tell him I say hi."

"No."

"What? Why?"

"Come with us, brother. Stay with us. The royals are very nice people. All of my friends are there, and some of yours."

Kuai Liang thought for a while. He would have to sell his apartment, but that would be no problem.

"I'll do it. Just give me a day to pack my things."

Bi-Han beamed at his brother. "Sure. I won't be hindering you about it. Smoke and the others would love to see you."

"Who are the others?"

"Scorpion, Jade, Kitana, Skarlet, Raiden, there's lots of them."

"Scorpion?!" Tundra knew him as Bi-Han's enemies. "Why does _he _stay with you?!"

"He and I have made amends. He learnt that it was Quan Chi that killed the Shirai Ryu. Since then, he has changed a lot."

"Well, I must go now. There are things I must attend to at the palace," Bi-Han said. He gave his brother a hug and left.

Kuai Liang wasted no time in packing and heading to the Edenian palace.

**-I have added Tundra to the cast! **

**-Jade and Sub-Zero are actually one of my favourite pairings.**

**-One more chapter to go!**


	17. Epilogue

**-This chapter is of Skarlet/Smoke, and the last chapter of the story.**

**-You have been warned.**

_Skarlet's Chamber – Edenia_

Smoke and Skarlet lay in bed together. Their lives were finally peaceful after Shao Kahn's demise, and the disband of the Lin Kuei. Smoke was grateful that Sektor was dead, thanks to Cyrax.

They had been dating since the second tournament, but became open about it after Shao Kahn's death. The couple were dubbed, "Hot Blood," by Johnny Cage. The movie star almost always had ridiculous nicknames for people.

There was a long silence before any of them spoke.

"Say, Skarlet, would you still be serving Shao Kahn had he not died?"

Skarlet raised a brow as she inclined her head to face Smoke. "What kind of question is that? _Of course not_."

The Enenra chuckled at that. "Okay. I don't know why I asked that. I was just thinking about our lives before the tournament, and how we met."

_We are both assassins, Smoke. We can join forces and take down the Emperor. _

"I remember I saved your life from those cyborgs. You would have been automated had it not been for my awesome entrance," the hemomancer said, laughing.

"I am forever grateful for that, Skarlet."

"I wouldn't have met you if I hadn't saved you," Skarlet said. "So I, too, am grateful that I got to meet such a handsome man."

With that, Skarlet pressed her lips against Smoke's. The feeling was amazing; Smoke's hot lips against Skarlet's soft, cold ones. The sensation was overwhelming, and none of them seemed to want to pull away.

Unfortunately, air became a need.

Pulling away for a few seconds, Skarlet and Smoke quickly returned to their lusty dialogue, their hands travelling. Smoke's hands took off Skarlet's bra and panties, releasing her perfectly sized breasts. The hemomancer returned the gesture, taking off Smoke's underpants, releasing his throbbing cock.

Smoke buried his face inbetween Skarlet's breasts and feasted on the supple flesh before him. The Enenra moved back up to her neck and did not miss a spot on her neck and chest. The hemomancer's flesh taste sweeter than sugar itself. Smoke could do this to his lover all day if he wanted to.

Smoke continued kissing from her chest down to her navel. He rubbed circles on it with his fingers before doing the real thing. The Enenra placed his face inbetween her legs and began eating her out. His tongue licked up and down, left and right on her navel. Her folds were very sweet, just like her flesh. The grey ninja loved how his lover tasted.

The hemomancer had never felt anything like this before. She grabbed Smoke by the back of the head and held in front of her crotch. The Enenra continued licking away until he had brought Skarlet to orgasmic bliss.

Skarlet then grabbed Smoke's penis after she had recovered from the spasms of pleasure she had underwent and pumped it furiously. With her hand coming into contact with the Enenra's member, Smoke let out a low growl. He continued to moan softly into his love's ear as she pumped his member and eventually grew bold enough to take him into her mouth. It was now her head bobbing up and down, not her hand.

Smoke jerked his hips back and forth to his love's ministration. Skarlet had no idea what she was doing but was replicating her ministrations of what Smoke had done to her. The Enenra prevented himself from blowing his load by pulling out a few moments before orgasm.

The vapour demon guided himself into Skarlet's tight entrance and thrust his entire length into her. The hemomancer let out a scream, which was quickly followed by a moan. The Enenra revelled in her warmth and tightness to the point that he fucked her faster than any other woman he had been with. It was not long before either of them came.

"How was that for your first time, Skarlet?" Smoke told her with a pang of sultriness in his voice.

The hemomancer replicated the sultriness, "It was fun. I want to do it again, Tomas."

Oh he had no idea what he'd unleashed in her. The two lovers went at it again, and again, and again. Skarlet had discovered that she loved sex with a passion.

**With Shao Kahn dead, the Earthrealm warriors lived a long life of peace and happiness. **

**However, more problems would be coming their way. **

**Continue reading in the next instalment: The Aftermath. **


End file.
